Little Pieces of You and Me
by icebucket
Summary: ch.4 greatly improved! its just a lot of fluff and lemons with a story line. its a little AU. Isabel and Arkarian are finding more time to be together than we may have known... fluff and lemons!rated M.
1. Chapter 1

**I know I shouldn't be writing this while I already have another story going but the idea popped into my head and I couldn't resist...**

**Hope u enjoy!!**

**Disclaimer: if I really owned this _why_ would I be writing fan fiction? ... Oh that's right... I wouldn't...**

**R&R plzzzz!**

**IMPORTANT NOTICE!!**

**This takes place at the end of ch. 8 of the Key at the meeting right after Ethan gets blown up and continues from there. It's still in Rochelle's POV **

_"Probably not Marcus, but whatever time we have, it will have to do" _

As I get up to leave I notice that Isabel, exhausted, has fallen asleep, her head resting on Arkarian's arm. Isabel was one of the strongest and bravest people I have ever known, but, right now, she looked anything but. She looked small and fragile and angelic in her white nightgown; breakable.

Arkarian looks down at her, smiling ruefully, as if regretting having to wake her. He lifts his hand from her shoulder and supports her head carefully. He kneels down in front of her, his thumb rubbing gently against her cheek. Using his other hand, he brushes a few strands of hair from her face, caressing her with his fingertips. Her eyelids flutter at his touch. He leans in, pressing his lips lightly, lovingly, to hers.

It was the sweetest thing I have ever seen.

He pulls back and Isabel smiles lightly, opening her eyes halfway, as if waking from a good dream. Her eyes droop again and then open fully. She sees Arkarian her smile widens. She leans forward, bringing her lips back to his. They kiss, sharing an intimacy I could only dream of. She pulls back and stares drowsily into his eyes, fighting back sleep.

I look away to give them some privacy and notice Jimmy and Ethan sharing loaded looks. I glared at them. Sure, I wasn't exactly comfortable with their public display of affection; it reminded me too much of what I could never have, but how could they mock something so pure and good? I could never share a love like that with someone except maybe...

I returned my thoughts to less painful avenues. Matt was grinding his teeth, his jaw sliding left then right. I knew that look. He would most probably give Isabel a grinding tomorrow. Then I remembered he was leaving. It must be Isabel's lucky day.

Shaun and Mr. Carter were looking away politely, a small smile on Shaun's lips. He was obviously happy that his friend had finally found someone; albeit, a few centuries younger.

Neriah caught my eye and mouthed 'Aww'. I smiled at her.

Arkarian finally stood, carrying Isabel; already half asleep, in his arms, bridal-style. We follow him outside; an unusual occurrence, to a familiar jeep. Matt must have driven Isabel up here. I stared as he laid her gently in the backseat. He laughed when she let go of him too soon and fell with a soft thump onto the seat. She giggled groggily. He took a blanket out of the back and wrapped it tightly around her, protecting her from the chilly air. He leaned in and pecked her goodbye, whispering something I couldn't hear.

* * *

**just a word of caution... this story is All Fluff and lemons and if ur sensitive to those kinda thing;) i suggest u read something else but don't worry ill warn you before a lemon scene but im afraid ur gonna have to read the fluff**


	2. Chapter 2

**okay im gonna make this chapter really long!! so beware.**

**Disclaimer: if I really owned this _why_ would I be writing fan fiction? ... Oh that's right... I wouldn't...**

**R&R plzzzz!**

Isabel POV

There was something shining in my face. I was slowly resurfacing from my sleep and I didn't like that at all. I turned around trying to fall back into unconsciousness. Of course, it was no use; Lorian's magnification of our powers didn't come without a price, and I was still too exhausted from last night's healing session to manage Lady Arabella's gift.

Just then, my stomach growled loudly, reminding me that I hadn't eaten since lunch yesterday. Why did I have to skip dinner? I could have made a nice turkey and cheese sandwich and a cup of juice, and then I could've gotten an extra hour or two of much needed beauty sleep. Oh right... I had been worried sick for Matt. It was his first mission and he didn't even have his powers yet. My sixth sense was kicking into overdrive the whole time and I couldn't tell him anything because then he'd panic and it would be all the worse. I just had to put some faith in Ethan, when it was actually him who was injured.

I yawned hugely and stretched out in bed. I squinted at my window to see that the curtains were down. Note to self: get thicker curtains. I could do that later. Right now, I wasn't ready to wake up just yet. I pulled the thick comforter over my head. Unfortunately, I had had this cover for six years, which meant my feet were now exposed to the cold air of my bedroom. It wasn't really cold; we had heating, but it was just that the cover was much warmer. Note to self: get a bigger comforter and a nice pair of warm, soft socks; all my other pairs were sports socks and only came up to my ankles. At the rate I was going, I should probably invest in sticky notes; that way I wouldn't have to remember everything that needed fixing in my room. There were a lot of pleasanter thoughts that I would rather have.

I curled up my legs, bringing my knees to my chin and under the warm safety of the thick blanket. I sighed; much better. Just then, my stomach let loose a ferocious growl. Apparently, I was supposed to eat now. But that meant getting out of bed; just when I was getting comfortable.

I groaned, sounding like a whining five-year-old.I flipped the covers off me and opened my eyes. Bad move. It brought the glaring light of the sun right into my weak eyes, making them burn and water. I shut them tightly and covered them with my arm for good measure.

I heard a chuckle and my eyes shot open, my arms bringing me to sitting position. Now, the only light in the room came from the hallway, making it much easier for me to handle.

Ethan sat there in my green inflatable lounge, a PSP slowly disappearing from his hands; obviously and illusion. "Hello sleepy head." He was wearing a silly grin on his face.

"Morning," I said, rubbing my eyes. He laughed again.

"More like good after noon; you've been asleep for over twenty-four hours." He explained. He got up and sat beside me on the bed.

"What are you doing here?" I asked yawing.

"Well, it seems blue boy has a something-or-other with the Tribunal and won't be back till later, so he left me with explicit instructions to 'not let you out of my sight and pamper and spoil you, waiting on you hand and foot... or else.' So I guess you're stuck with me." He patted my head. I waved his arm away.

"Blue boy?" I arched an eyebrow. "That's new. You really don't have to do this. I'll take care of 'blue boy'." My eyes narrowed at the end. If 'blue boy' thought I needed baby sitting, then he didn't know what he had coming to him.

Ethan laughed again. Wasn't he bubbly today? "As much as I'd love to take you up on the offer and watch Arkarian squirm when he sees that look, I'd still have to feel his wrath; and, besides, you saved my life." He said, his eyes softening at the end. "I owe you." He kissed my forehead.

"What did you do to the sun?" I noted that there was absolutely no light coming from the window.

" I made your windows opaque," He said, grinning widely. What was he up to? "Now, it's time to get you some lunch."

He stood up and, without warning, flung me over his shoulder. "Gah!" He laughed at my exclamation. "Ethan! Put me down, NOW!" Oh he was so dead! "Ethan, so help me, if you don't put me down NOW, I'll make you feel MY wrath! Ethan!"

He didn't listen to me. He carried me downstairs and dumped me on the kitchen counter. I scowled fiercely. "I could've walked, you know."

"Really?" he said, raising his eyebrows in disbelief. "Go ahead then." He gestured for me to go on. "Walk to the table."

Was he kidding me? Did I look like a one-year-old? 'Walk to the table' he says. It was only five feet away! What sort of challenge was that? But I complied. Getting off the counter, my legs wobbled slightly, like they could hardly hold my weight. The room spun and blotched black and red. My knees buckled and I was going to hit the floor before Ethan caught me, his blue eyes flashing concern...and amusement. He set me down gently on a chair, giving me a look that clearly said 'I told you so'. I folded my hands on the table and laid my head over it, trying to get the room to stop spinning.

"You should really start listening to me, Isabel," He said kindly, "I was there the first time you had to test your limit, and I know what happens when you exhaust yourself."

I looked up at him. "Yes, and you saved my life that time, so now we're even. You don't have to be here; and you don't have to carry me around."

He looked away, scratching the back of his neck. "Yeah... well... you can't send me away that easily, I still don't want to have to face Arkarian." He looked back to me and smile, "So, now that we've established that I'm not going anywhere, what would you like for lunch?"

That surprised me. "You can cook?"

He laughed, "When you live with a depressed mother and a catatonic father for thirteen years, you learn a few things."

"Okay..." I yawned... again. "But I need something fast." My stomach growled again. "Something filling too or I might just eat everything in the house."

"Yes ma'am. Do you wanna wash up a bit while I'm cooking?" He looked at me suggestively.

"Why? How bad do I look?" My eyes were starting to droop so I rubbed them to try and dispel the sleep that lingered.

"Look for yourself." He created an illusion of a mirror, a smile tugging at his lips.

"Oh ugh!" My hair was completely disheveled; it was tangled and sticking out in all directions. My general complexion looked pale and unhealthy; there was absolutely no color in my face. My eyes looked swollen, my eyelids struggling to stay opened. "I'm gonna go have a long hot shower," I looked up to see him biting his lips trying to suppress another of his goofy grins, "and when I come back I expect that stupid look off your face and a nice hot meal to be ready!"

He grinned anyway. "Demanding aren't you?"

"If you're gonna be here anyway, you might as well make yourself useful." I huffed. I got up slowly, holding on to the table for support. Worry crossed over Ethan's face and he stretched his arms toward me, ready to support or catch me, I wasn't sure. The room span but much less than before. I waited until I was sure the room was completely still then walked slowly toward the kitchen door, leaning slightly on the wall.

"Yell if you need anything okay?" I heard Ethan call after me.

"Okay," I called back, halfway up the stairs, "thanks for doing this Ethan." I heard a chuckle from the kitchen and a cupboard close. I smiled. Ethan practically lived here before the whole thing with Rochelle; he knew his way around the house.

I managed to get to my room without much difficulty. I could already feel my strength returning. The shower would help too.

I got my toiletries from my room along with a pair of jeans, a black Roxy long-sleeved shirt, and some underwear. I went to the bathroom I shared with my brother and decided against a bubble bath; I was just too hungry. _Too bad_, I thought; I loved bubble baths. I turned on the water, waiting for it to get hot. I stripped off my nightgown and went into the steamy bath.

The hot water helped wash away the stiffness in my muscles from sleeping too long in the same position, a stiffness I hadn't noticed until it went away. I tried to straighten through some of the bigger tangles, much to my success, before adding soap to my hair. The small bathroom filled with the smell of lavender. I washed through my hair twice, applying conditioner after that. I scrubbed my body down with my green loofa. My bust had finally decided to grow about a few months ago and I was glad to see it had not changed its mind. Some of my friends thought it would be funny to get me lingerie for my sixteenth birthday. 'Just so you're prepared' Haley'd said and then winked. The look on Matt's face was priceless; I wished I'd caught it on film. I, of course, had blushed three shades of red.

I rinsed and then enjoyed a few minutes under the steaming water until it started to go cold. Lucky Matt won't be home this evening or he'd kill me for using all the hot water. I tended to do that more often than he'd like. It wasn't my fault that staying outdoors got you dirty. I didn't _like_ being dirty; it's just that dirt is associated with most of the activities I like to do. And just because most of the activities I like to do happen to be activities that most _boys_ like to do doesn't mean I don't know how to be feminine, as most people I know would like to believe. I like shopping for clothes and I like things that are pink and fluffy or in any way cute. I just like other not-so-girly things more.

I dried myself off and thought of Matt as I dressed. He was off somewhere in another world. I just hoped this world isn't anything like the underworld; I wasn't sure he could handle that. I remember our last conversation, the one we'd had just a few hours ago, before he left. I knew he was coming back; the Guard needed him here to lead the Named, but I didn't if he was coming back himself... or someone completely different. I wonder if I shouldn't have told him that we weren't complete siblings; that my father, the man who had abused him for four long years, was not his father. But no, he had the right to know. He would have held it against me if I hadn't told him.

I dried my hair with the towel, ignoring the constant gurgling of my stomach, and then wiped off the mist from the mirror so I could comb it.

I had known Matt all my life, and I knew he would make a wonderful leader. Ever since we were little children, Matt had always had this aura about him, an aura that demanded respect. Mom would always believe Matt over me. She was right though; he'd never lied until he joined the Guard and deception became necessary for mom's own protection.

I hoped he would change in one way though; I hoped he would get over his insecurities. He just needed a little faith in himself and others; namely me. I wish he would trust me to do something right for once. It was all I ever wanted. I would never admit it to anyone, but that was one of the main reasons, if not _the_ reason, I felt the need to constantly prove myself.

I squirted some watermelon-flavored toothpaste on my tooth brush and furiously scrubbed away my morning breath.

Ever since our-my father left, I was so afraid that it was _my_ fault, that _I_ hadn't been good enough for him to stay.

I wanted to prove him wrong.

I did everything I could think of; I joined the gymnastics team and won national championships, I joined the volleyball team, the athlete's team (I loved running), the soccer team, I learned to skateboard and to snowboard; I learned to ice-skate and even got second place in a figure skating competition. And it wasn't just sports; I learned to play the cello and the piano, and I used to work my little bum off, night and day, to maintain a 3.2 average (**that's 16/20 or 80/100**). All the while Matt was acting more like a father than a brother; and I started to worry that he might leave too. It was frightening to know how much I really needed him as a brother; I had had enough of fathers. So I went out to prove to him that I was worth it, or to myself that I didn't need him; I wasn't quite sure which one. Or maybe it was both. To prove to him that he should stay and to prepare myself should he leave.

It didn't do me any good; I was still worried that whatever he learns with his new mentor, it will affect him deeply and drive him away from me; from his family. My hands shook as I rinsed out my tooth brush and my vision blurred slightly as tears pooled in my eyes. I don't think I could handle his rejection.

I heard a knock on the door. "Isabel? Are you alright," I heard Ethan's voice from outside, "you've been half an hour."

"I'm fine Ethan," I was glad my voice sounded normal and not like someone who was about to cry, "I'll be out in a minute."

"Girls..." I heard him mutter. I laughed.

I looked at my reflection one more time and I saw a great improvement. My eyes were now fully open, my hair combed and flowing half way down my back in gentle waves. My skin looked much better; a slight pink on my cheeks from the hot air in the bathroom.

My stomach made itself known once again; I should really eat now. I pushed thoughts of Matt from my mind and concentrated on the wonderful smells coming from the kitchen. I hopped down the stairs, now fully revived and bouncing; a little food, and my day would be complete. Okay... mabe a lot of food.

"Oh yum, Ethan, this smells great," I said plopping down at the kitchen table. "In fact, this smells so great, I'm gonna get you a chef hat to match that apron." I giggled at the red and white polka dotted apron with 'chocolate took on a whole new meaning baby' written across it in big black letters.

"Oh this?" he said looking down, "I think it's Jimmy's." I burst out laughing. I laughed until my ribs were sore and Ethan laughed along with me.

He took it off and put it back on the hook. He took out two plates and placed one in front of me; spooning me a very large helping of spaghetti with meatball sauce and a very large helping for himself. "Thanks so much Ethan," I said, preparing to dig in.

"You're very welcome, and besides I did it as much for me as for you," he said sitting down, "I actually learned something from this." I raised my eyebrows at him. He grinned stupidly. "Getting blown up makes me hungry, especially when I have to get a brand new stomach in the process," he patted his stomach area, "its gonna have to get used getting stuffed." I smiled, trying to suppress a laugh. It wouldn't be a very good idea to laugh right now considering my mouth was full of some very delicious spaghetti.

"So," I said while we ate, "what exactly did Arkarian threaten to do if you didn't come here to baby sit me?" I couldn't imagine Arkarian _threatening_ someone. Those violet eyes could never be menacing enough to intimidate, at least not to me. He didn't need to be intimidating though; he could ask for my heart and I'd rip it right out of my chest for him, right then and there, anesthetic be damned.

"I can see where you would think Arkarian was some sort of faultless angel, what with all the sweat talking he uses on you- ouch!" I stepped on his foot for that last comment, hard enough for it to be sore for the next few days, "ow... jeez! God damn it Isabel!" He was glaring at me and wincing in pain at the same time. It looked comical. I felt a tinge of guilt. But only a tinge.

"I'll heal it if you behave," I said, jutting my chin out indignantly.

"Fine!" he was still glaring/wincing, "_anyway_, he said that if anything happened to you, he'll hold me personally responsible and get Lorian to take away my wings."

I frowned in puzzlement, getting up for a second helping, leaving some for Ethan, in case he needed more. I sat back down getting two sodas on the way. "Why would anything happen to me?" I asked passing him the can.

"Actually, its pretty obvious," he said, opening the can and taking a drink, "Matt went to la-la-land and Jimmy has work; you're completely alone and weak from an extensive healing session, hardly able to stand, Marduke knows who you are and would, most probably, take advantage of the situation to get rid of one of the key members of the named; a powerful healer with a developing second sight who saved the lives of more than half the Named. It would be like a dream come true for him, if that creep can even dream," contempt seeped through his last words in obvious hatred.

Marduke almost killed me once; trying to finish the job while I was tired and vulnerable was beyond horrible. I was suddenly glad of Ethan's presence.

I shook my head and took another mouthful of the now cooling spaghetti. "I really didn't think about it like that."

"Anyway," he smiled casually, "your life is more important than my wings so this way I get to make sure you're safe _and_ I get to keep my wings." He was grinning wildly at the end. I laughed at his expression.

After his second helping, I washed the dishes and he rinsed and dried. We laughed and played with the soapy water until we were both wet and breathless from laughing so much. It felt...normal. The sort of things all teenagers do. It felt nice to be normal; even for a few minutes.

I went upstairs and changed, putting my wet clothes in the hamper. "So, what do you want to do today?"

"Well, tomorrow I start officially training Neriah so this is probably my last carefree day for a long time, and you'll be too busy sucking fa-" he stopped when he saw my facial expression; I might as well have written 'go there and die' in blinking lights. So he (wisely) backtracked. "I mean spend a lot of time with Arkarian"-much better-"now that school's out and Matt's not here to restrain-I mean hang over you. So why don't we do something fun. We could go to the mall, watch a movie, play a little arcade... you know, hang." I liked that idea. I liked that idea a lot.

We stopped by his house first so he could change into dry clothes; his were still soapy. We ended up watching 'Prom Night'. It was supposed to be a horror movie, but when you live through ten days of true horror in the underworld, it just gives you a slight scare. We each got a huge bucket of caramel popcorn and a strawberry slushy. We laughed every time someone screamed for something silly like a stalker/murderer suddenly appearing out of nowhere. It was a blast.

I buried him in every game we played at the arcade. At the end, we joined tickets, which came out to quite a large sum, and bought a little for each of us. We got two glow-in-the-dark stick, one for me one for Ethan, and two crazy balls, the ones that bounce all over the place. I got a butterfly hair clip, a big pen with fluffy feathers at the end that lights as you write, a toe ring and matching ankle bracelet. Ethan got a foam model airplane, dog tags, and a charm bracelet for his mother. We had dinner and then walked around the mall a bit, making pit stops at stores that we like, but never actually buying anything. I even tried on a dress. It was long and pale red, strapless but tied around my neck by a piece of the same soft fabric. It was elegant, yet it gave off a sense of casualness as the material moved with my body.

Ethan said it looked wonderful and that Arkarian would probably have a stroke if he saw me in it. I blushed... and bought it. It had a fifty percent discount and another twenty five percent since it was the last piece, so all in all it was a very good deal.

Mom would be proud; she'd been trying to get me to wear a dress, or a skirt even, since I was five years old. Up until now, dresses and skirts were simply a nuisance; how was I supposed to climb a tree when my panties were on display? But now, they actually had a purpose.

It was surprising how... sexy and beautiful I felt. I can't believe I just said that, but if I was honest with myself, I did; I felt sexy in that dress that hung loosely on my body, that swayed majestically with my every move.

I hadn't changed. I was still the tree-climbing, adventurous, always-getting-herself-into-trouble, tomboy Isabel. What _had_ changed is that now, I had someone to be beautiful _for_. And I wanted to be beautiful for him. He deserved someone beautiful and sexy.

I was so unused to the word.

Sexy.

I was _such_ a virgin. And I had a prude for a boyfriend.

We stopped at a record store. I bought Matt a CD he'd wanted and Ethan picked out some albums. We've fallen behind on everything, including music, since saving the world took out so much of our time and energy; it was nice to catch up.

We even met Dillon and some other boys from school. "Hey Ethan! Wanna join us? And...uh... you can too if you want," someone from the group yelled. Whoever this boy is, he wasn't going to stay a boy for long if he kept eyeing me like that.

"We could just go home and watch TV," Ethan suggested, "We don't have to hang out with these freaks."

I smiled at him. He was so considerate. "No, it's fine. Go, get your share of male bonding. Arkarian's probably back and I don't want to get home too late and scare my mom again. She deserves a little break."

He looked unsure, "Are you sure you don't want me to take you back?"

"I'll be fine Ethan, I'm fine now; I can deal with the boogieman." He laughed. I gave him a hug.

"Bye Belsy."

"Belsy? What sort of nick name is that?!" He just laughed. I punched his arm and laughed with him. "Bye Ethan." He waved and walked off to greet his friends. I went in the opposite direction and took the bus home.

I put my bags in my room and took a little bathroom break to wash my face. It was still six thirty but I wrote my mom a note just in case.

_Mom, _

_Went to the mall with friends_

_Be back before nine_

_Love Isabel_

I locked the door behind me and walked to Arkarian's chambers. I was a little tired as I got to the mountain. I yawned hugely, just as Arkarian opened the door for me. He smiled at me, raising an eyebrow in amusement. "And here I thought you'd be excited to see me," he shook his head in mock disappointment, "I guess I was wrong."

I threw myself at him, locking my arms around his waist. "I missed you so much today," I said into his chest.

He chuckled, the sound vibrating through his torso. He put his hand on my head and stroked my hair gently. "And I you." He whispered back to me.

He kissed the top of my head, his lips sending shivers down my back. I turned my head up and stood on my tiptoes to reach his lips. He snaked his strong arms around my waist, lifting me easily for better access. I moved my arms to around his neck, locking our lips together. It was a sweet, passionate kiss; a physical expression of our love. I pulled back and smiled at him. I leaned back down and pressed my lips lightly against his; once, twice. The third one lasted for about five seconds before I could pull away again. He set me down and led me to a room.

He opened the door to what looked like a sitting room and pulled me inside. There was a wide, comfy looking couch and a table. At the front was a small fire place, already lit and burning, casting flickering shadows around the room. The only light came from the fire, which suited me fine. But why would Arkarian have this room if he doesn't live here?

"Some of these rooms change according to what you need," he explained, reading my thoughts, "If I should need a refuge, one of the rooms will change into a bedroom. Right now, I needed a warm and comfortable seating and so it changed accordingly." He gestured to the room.

"Ah." I sat down on the couch and leaned back. It was even more comfy than it looked. I sighed. My feet hurt slightly from all the walking we did; and I don't have the energy to heal it.

Arkarian walked over and sat next to me, hugging me close. I snuggled into his warm chest and wondered at how good he felt against me. He laughed lightly. "Isabel," his voice was reprimanding, "You should really learn to block your thoughts."

"I have nothing to hide from you," I whispered to him. The heat from the fire and the warmth of his body was making me drowsy. My eyes drooped closed.

I heard him sigh, felt a warm hand on the back of my head, loving lips on my forehead. "And so it should be," were his last gentle words before I drifted off to sleep.

okay im gonna end this here cuase it 1 in the morning and my fingers are going to drop off any second.


	3. Chapter 3

**helloooo!! its me again bet you didn't know that!!;)**

**okay listen guys im gonna need more reviews than that!! its a little miffing cause ive been working so hard :(**

**thx for those who did review!!**

**disclaimer : blah blah... i dont own nothing.** **(for all those grammar freaks out there-myself included-dont sue me cause i used a double negative!)**

Isabel POV

I was sleeping soundly when the alarm on my wrist watch blared. 7:45. I'd been asleep for an hour. I turned it off and noticed that I was lying down, a pair of warm arms wrapped around my middle. I turned around on the couch so that I was facing Arkarian. He smiled at me, his violet eyes dancing with the light from the fire. "Sleep well?"

"Mhmm," I smiled, "better than ever actually."

"Why did you set your alarm?" he tightened his hold on me, bringing us closer. He smiled mischievously, "afraid we'd get carried away?"

"Get carried away... doing what?" I prompted, raising an eyebrow suggestively.

His smile widened, became a grin. A mocking one. "Playing scrabble."

I couldn't help it; I laughed. "Scrabble?" I said between fits of giggles, "How... do you...even...know what ... that _is_."

He laughed, "I may be six hundred years old and isolated from society, but that doesn't mean I don't know what's going on in the world around me," he kissed the tip of my nose causing me to giggle, "board games included. I even played against Lord Penbarin once."

I smiled at that. "So, who won?" He didn't answer me; he just smiled his ancient smile as if the answer should be obvious. "You did. I should have known."

"I tried to go easy on him," he said, wearing an expression of false regret, "I suppose it's not in my nature to hold back." His false frown had turned into a sly grin by the end. I wacked his arm and giggled. "Do you want to go back to sleep? You look tired." His was concerned now; I was touched.

"No I'm fine. I can sleep when I get back home. There's no school tomorrow so I'll probably sleep in," I smiled at him and got straight to the first order of business, "did you really threaten Ethan into becoming my slave for the day?"

"Well," he was apprehensive now, trying not to anger me, "I didn't really say he was to be your slave-"

"Arkarian," I cut him off, a hint of warning in my tone.

He sighed and looked up, avoiding my eyes. "Yes."

I put my hand on his cheek and turned his face so I could meet his eyes. "Thank you," I said softly, smiling at him gratefully.

He looked surprised, but only for a moment. He smiled back and my heart turned over in my chest. "You're very welcome."

He took one arm from around my waist and trailed his fingers lightly across my arm. Up, down, up, down. My heart went into overdrive and I had to remind my self to breathe normally. He took my small hand in his large one and kissed my knuckles. "Since when were you reasonable?" he asked playfully. He kissed my wrist and then my palm. He was so good with his lips. "Hmm?" he said when I didn't answer.

"Would you rather I weren't?" I asked breathlessly. Did he know what he was doing to me? Did he know how unfair this is?

"I suppose it's a nice change every once in a while," he chuckled, "but I'd miss your stubbornness too much." He smiled at me, his eyes sparkling. He moved his lips from my hand to my mouth, wrapping my arm around his neck. He brought his hand to cup my face, bringing me closer to him. My mouth locked with his and refused to pull away, which suited me just fine.

His lips moved with mine in strange and comforting ways. He was gentle and loving, his mouth conveying what words could never say.

I pressed myself closer to him, deepening the kiss. Then he did something I didn't expect. Opening his mouth, he traced his tongue along my lower lip, and then my upper one.

It was like putting a lit match over flammable gas; I burned. The heat started from my lips, scorching where my skin met his, and traveled downwards to my toes, lapping at me in wave after wave of pleasure. And before I could stop myself, I moaned into his mouth. _Good_ didn't even start to compare. He was beyond divine.

He smiled against my lips. "Do you like that?" he murmured.

"Mhmm," was all I could manage before his tongue was licking at my lips again. He slowed down our urgent kiss, taking his time. His tongue ran along my aching lips, adding pressure, parting them slightly. I moaned again. He did it again and this time I whimpered; it felt so good.

I realized what he was trying to do and took a leap of faith. I opened my mouth for him, granting him access. He didn't rush into my mouth, he didn't take advantage; instead, he ran over my lips one more time. He entered slowly, exploring, giving me time to pull away.

I didn't pull away.

His tongue grazed my teeth, tickled at my gum. It was so soft and warm, inviting. He tasted lovely, like sugar cane. I reacted instinctively and reached out my tongue to greet him. This time _he_ moaned. Hearing it made me bold; daring. I pushed at his tongue, trying to get past it to his mouth. He moaned again except it came out as a growl. Our tongues battled and he was winning. He refused to let me in.

"None of that," he said roughly, pulling me under him. His body pressed me into the couch and I reveled in the pressure his weight created. His lips devoured mine, his tongue claiming my mouth. The epic battle continued but I could never get passed him.

My hands tangled in his hair, but I wasn't wondering at its silkiness as I would have usually done; my thoughts were occupied elsewhere.

I whimpered when my attempt to sneak passed him failed. He chuckled and retreated, leaving his mouth wide open. Yes!

I entered hesitantly, wondering if it was just a ruse. My confidence built when his tongue greeted mine, inviting me further. I explored his mouth, tasting the inside of his cheeks, the top of his mouth. It tasted even better than his tongue did. He captured my tongue with his lips and sucked.

I moaned loudly and heat pooled in my stomach and between my legs. He did it again.

I guess being with a man who has six centuries worth of experience really pay off in the end.

He heard my thoughts and chuckled, pulling away. My breathing was labored and my heart was trying to get through my chest. His eyes sparkled down at me, reflecting their love. He leaned his forehead against mine, planting a kiss on my nose. "Happy?" he whispered.

"Mmm, very." I whispered back. I remove my hands from his hair to check my watch. It was 8:30. I pouted.

"We still have tomorrow," he said after seeing my expression. He smiled at my obvious annoyance, "and the day after, and the day after that. In fact, we have an eternity of tomorrows to be together," he tapped my nose which made me smile, "you can even stay here with me until school starts again or until Matt returns, whichever comes first. Only if you want of course." He seemed unsure if that was what I wanted.

I smiled and kissed him softly. "I would love to. But don't you have things to do in the Citadel or with the Tribunal?" I knew he didn't dally here all day and I didn't want to distract him from whatever he did.

He thought for a minute, "Well, I do have a meeting with the Tribunal in Athens for a few days but it would only be a few minutes in your time and it would be while we're both asleep so it's no hindrance. And, other than watching the sphere, I believe I will be free this week." He smiled down at me, "but we can talk about that later. Right now, you need to go home and sleep before your mother starts to worry."

"Okay. Bye." He followed me to the door. I looked back to him before I left, giving him a small kiss. "Love you."

He smiled, "I love you too. Now off with you." I giggled and took off into the night.

**okay ill make you a deal, i get five reviews and i will update with a chapter longer than ch. 2 ****;)**

**happy summer holiday!! **


	4. Chapter 4

**_WARNING!!_: this chapter contains a lot of sexual content and even a lemon. I'll warn you when the lemon comes but the rest of the chapter still contains some sexual references but nothing graphic so if u don't want ur mind tainted i suggest u skip this chapter. i don't think there's any important things with reference to the plot so you'll still understand the rest of the story.**

Isabel's POV

I walked down the mountain, hugging my arms against my chest in the cold night air. My breaths came out in white tufts condensation. I quickened my pace, imagining the hot cup of coco that awaited me at home. I thought of Arkarian and the new intimacy our relationship had taken. I felt a smile unconsciously spread across my face. I loved him so much it scared me sometimes. But I knew he loved me just as much and I knew there was nothing to be afraid of. It was just so new to me. It's like I had been missing something but never realized just how empty I was until Arkarian came along and filled me up nicely.

Matt thought that our relationship was progressing too quickly, that we were taking things too fast, but he didn't understand. It was none of his business anyway. We had loved each other for over a year and now that we're finally able to be together, we're just making up for lost time.

He didn't even realize the hypocrisy of his actions. I know for a fact that he had slept with Rochelle barely two and a half months after they were together; I saw the used condom in the trash. The idiot didn't even _try_ to cover it up! Though, why Rochelle had agreed to it, I couldn't imagine. It was not an image I wanted in my head.

I saw my house up ahead and took my keys out of my back pocket before I even got to the porch. I jumped the steps in one go, eager to get inside. There were no lights on so I assumed mom and Jimmy were working late. I closed the door quietly behind me, not wanting to disturb the peace. I heard something from inside and froze. I kept calm and listened intently to see where it was coming from. There was a soft sigh or a muffled groan coming from the living room. I walked cautiously across the short hallway until I reached the living room door. There was no door really; just an opening in the wall. I heard a loud moan coming from the couch, like someone in extreme pain... or extreme pleasure. I couldn't tell which.

I turned on the lights to find my mom and Jimmy making love on the living room couch, both completely naked.

At first my mind did not register what I was seeing.

But then it did.

No one, in hell or heaven, should be subjected to what my poor eyes just witnessed; in perfect clarity no less. I would be haunted by this image for the rest of eternity.

My brain told me to run from the horror in front of me, but my body would not comply. "Oh. My. God."

They gasped and their heads whipped around to look at me. I was sure that my eyes were wide as saucers, ready to fall out at any seconds notice.

They fumbled to get up and realization finally hit me. I turned around and bolted from the room. I leaned on the wall beside the door, trying to force the images out of my mind. I even tried bagging my head on the wall. It didn't work. Stupid photographic memory!

"Isabel?" my mom's concerned voice drifted from the room. I heard them move around inside, trying to put their clothes back on. Oh no! I knew my mom would want to talk to me, and Jimmy will probably be there as well. Heat crept up my neck to my face at the awkwardness of the situation.

"You know what mom?" I squeaked, "I think I'll just stay the night at a friend's. In fact, since school's out, I think I'll stay the whole week. I'll drop by tomorrow to pick up some clothes. Goodnight." With that, I ran out of the house before she could say anything in protest. I ran as fast as I could, away from the horrific scene. I ran until the cold air stung my clammy cheeks and sweat drenched my forehead. Where would I go?

All my girlfriends were out of the question; I didn't have a good excuse to drop by so suddenly and ask to stay the night, and to tell them the truth would be beyond embarrassing. _Oh, hey Trish, I was just wondering if I could crash at your place 'cause my mom and her boyfriend are shagging in the living room. Oh no, it's no big deal; I assure you I have every intention of giving them the sex talk as soon as I get a new couch. One that is smaller and much harder to screw on._ Yes, I'm sure that would be an interesting conversation.

I couldn't go to Ethan either. I couldn't go to any of the Named actually; I didn't want Jimmy to be the subject of their teasing till who knows when. Besides, word might reach Matt, and then he'd kill Jimmy.

I knew my mom had to move on sometime, and I knew that involved things; things I didn't want to think about. I was really happy for her; I just didn't want to _see_ it.

I considered going back and sneaking into my room, but ruled that out quickly in case they decided to continue.

I shuddered, partly from that last thought and partly from the cold. I would have to find somewhere to stay soon before I froze to death. I sighed heavily and wrapped my arms around me, tugging on my sweater to cover my hands.

I walked around aimlessly, kicking loose stones and watching the swirling smoke coming from my mouth. I enjoyed the quiet sounds of the night; they were calming and melodic, bringing comfort to the oppressive darkness. It would be oppressive, except I loved the mysterious shadows caused by the moon. There had been some malfunction and all the street lamps were off, the only light coming from the heavens, but I could see in perfect clarity.

I was preoccupied with trying to make shapes out of the condensed air when I realized that I was on a familiar path. I stopped and thought about what I was doing.

Could I go to him now? Could I tell him that I was too much of a coward to face my mother and her boyfriend? I knew he would understand. I knew he would hold me close and drive away the disturbing pictures and replace them with much pleasanter thoughts. He would never tell anyone about it, never mention it to Jimmy or act differently around him. He was much too mature and composed for that.

But was I brave enough to tell him what happened? It would be embarrassing at the very least; and I'm sure I'll feel very silly about it later.

This is the first time I've ever been reluctant to see my ancient boyfriend; I'm usually the one rushing into his waiting arms. It's surprising how seeing your own mother doing _it_ affects you. _Well suck it up Isabel; it's not like you have any other choice. _I sighed. Would he even want me there?

Well, there's only one way to find out.

I continued up the mountain path by the light of the moon, the motion helping with the cold. I smiled at my foolishness. Of course he would want me there; just as much as I wanted to be there. I just hoped I didn't wake him.

The door opened for me as soon as I came into sight. I rushed inside and out of the cold. Arkarian met me in the corridor and I hugged him fiercely, burying my face in his chest. He was so _warm_. I sighed and breathed in heavily, his scent already chasing away all memory of my unfortunate incident. His arms snaked around me, pulling me closer to him. "What's wrong, my love?"

I looked up into concerned violet eyes. I smiled at him and hugged him tighter. He understood; I wasn't quite ready to talk about it. "Do you mind if I stay here tonight?" He quirked an eyebrow at my question. I smiled at him sweetly and looked up at him through my eyelashes, giving him my best puppy dog face.

He chuckled and tightened his embrace, leaning down to kiss me softly. "How can I resist that face?" he smiled down at me, "How can I resist _you_?" He whispered.

"Maybe you shouldn't," I whispered back. I was staring intently on his lips, wishing more than anything that they were back on mine.

He noticed and chuckled again. He leaned down closer until our lips were an inch apart. His breath fanned across my face, making the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. I held my breath in anticipation. "Your wish is my command," he murmured huskily before his lips crashed onto mine, forcing them open. He kissed me roughly; his hands tangling in my hair, his tongue twisting with mine in a violent passion.

We broke apart to breathe and his lips traveled down to plant sweet kisses along my jaw, all previous urgency gone. I was panting heavily, my breaths fast and shallow.

He kissed a sensitive part beneath my ear making me sigh contentedly and lean into him. Reaching up, I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed his collarbone softly. I don't know how long I had wondered around, but I was dead tired. "You're cold," he put a hand on my cheek and I pressed my face into his warm palm, "Would you like telling me why you were walking around at night when you should be in bed?" He looked at me questioningly and I made the mistake of gazing into his purple orbs. How could I deny him anything?

I sighed heavily and pulled away. I blushed crimson and looked at my feet. "I went home just like I said I would," I stopped and blushed again, but I couldn't continue. He cupped my chin with his thumb and forefinger, lifting my face up to his. He tilted his head slightly, his eyes urging me to go on. I was sure I looked like a tomato by now. I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. It didn't help so I just thought it at him. _I found my mom and Jimmy having sex on the living room couch. _

He looked shocked at first, his eyes widening slightly. "Oh," His eyes softened slightly, became loving as his hand brushed back my hair, "I'm sorry you had to see that."

I sighed; relieved that I didn't have to face them just yet. But he read me all too well. "You will have to face them sometime," he looked at me seriously, "you can't run from them, Isabel, especially not Jimmy. And you only have a few years left to be with your mother before you must leave your world to live in mine," his thumb rubbed soothingly across my cheekbone, "It's much better to have this resolved in private than feeling awkward every time you're in the room with one of them."

I dragged his hand down to kiss his palm and looked into his gorgeous eyes. I smiled at him softly, "I know that Arkarian; I'm just not sure I can face them just yet. It's just too fresh in my mind," I grimaced slightly, "but I promise you, first thing in the morning I'll have a long, not necessarily nice, chat with them."

He smiled at me, revealing the faintest hint of dimples. "Come, you look tired," he took my hand and led me down the candle lit hallway. As I trailed behind him, I noticed what he was wearing. He was barefoot with loose black pajama pants that covered his legs. His shirt was black and tight, outlining his beautifully muscled arms and back. I never told anyone this, but ever since I was able to heal from afar, I could _feel_ people near me, and animals to a lesser extent. Every pull of muscle, every beat of their heart as it pumped life into their body; I felt it all. I sensed the illness in some and the possibility of it in others. I saw an embryo in his mother's womb, his little heart beating as he grew inside her. Sometimes I tuned it out, but, right now, I could not.

Arkarian walked in front of me, leading me deeper into the mountain. I felt the lean muscle beneath his skin, the strength in his arms and legs, the pulse of his ever-beating heart, the sheer _power_ that is him. It was mesmerizing.

I didn't notice that we'd stopped until Arkarian squeezed my hand. I looked up at him and he raised a blue eyebrow. Great, he'd caught me ogling him. I blushed and hid behind my hair. He chuckled quietly, earning a glare from me, and opened the door.

He led me inside and closed the door behind him. The light coming from the dozen candles sprinkled about the room was dim enough not to bother me. There was a king sized bed in deep wine red with lots and lots of pillows in similar shades. Underneath that, there was a snow white carpet; the kind I never dared walk on for fear of dirtying it, which contrasted nicely with the rest of the room. There were two nightstands on either side of the bed and a door on the opposite wall, which I assumed led to a bathroom. At the far wall, there was a large dresser in rich red wood that matched the theme perfectly.

I ran across the room and jumped onto the bed, turning in the air to land on my back. I sighed at the softness of the fabric. I was beat.

I sat up, blushing slightly at my enthusiasm. Arkarian was smiling down at me from the doorway where I'd last left him. He walked over slowly and sat beside me, pulling me onto his lap. I giggled as he nibbled on my earlobe. "Eager are we?" he asked playfully.

This was a side of Arkarian that nobody knew; the side reserved only for me. He was no longer the all knowing, all seeing six-hundred-year-old whom everybody looked up to; he was an eighteen-year-old adolescent, in love for the first time. It was reassuring to know that he could be wise and strong when he needed to be, but completely smitten when we were alone. The difference was laughable.

I ran my hands through his hair as he kissed down my neck, "I'm just tired, but I don't want to sleep just yet," I felt him smile against my skin.

"Really? You're tired but don't want to sleep?" he pulled away from my neck. I turned to see him smiling at me skeptically. He still looked breathtakingly beautiful. "What would you rather do then?" he played with a strand of my hair, twirling and twisting it in around his long, elegant fingers.

I thought for a minute before answering, "I think I want to change first and then we can decide what to do from there," I smiled at my genius... and then blushed at my idiocy, "but I didn't bring any clothes to change in to."

He laughed at my reddened face, his eyes sparkling with his laughter. He got up, putting me back on my feet, and took his shirt off. He handed it to me and I took it numbly. "You didn't think I would let you go back out there, did you?" he said smiling.

"I... I think I'll just go change now," I smiled back weekly and hurried off into the bathroom, carefully closing the door behind me. I leaned on the door and, closing my eyes, sucked in a much needed breath.

He hadn't realized, of course, what the simple act of removing his shirt had done to me. The action had flexed his beautifully toned muscles, exposing them to me in the process. And even with the dim candle light, I saw it all perfectly. My face was now bright red, one blush melting into another as I thought of him in sinful ways. Sure, I had imagined him shirtless before, but I had never actually _seen_ it. At least he couldn't read my mind now that I know how to block my thoughts.

Unless, he had a spare shirt lying around, I would have to sit through the whole evening of him shirtless and me trying not to gasp and blush at his every movement.

I sighed and opened my eyes, realizing it would be wasteful to stall. The bathroom wasn't small, but not unnecessarily huge. I took off my clothes, carefully folding them so I could wear them tomorrow. I took off my bra as well, so it wouldn't bother me at night, and stuffed it between my shirt and pants.

Arkarian's shirt fit him perfectly, but, unfortunately, was about four sized too big for me. I rolled up the sleeves three times and still my hands barely pocked through. The neck opening was way too wide and it kept falling off one shoulder so, after many unsuccessful attempts to fix it, I just left it there. It reached to just above my knee and I thanked the heavens that I didn't need to shave anymore.

I'd decided to experiment a little with my healing skills and realized that I could not only heal injuries, but I could control certain aspects of the body. Well, my body at least; I'd never tried it on someone else. I'd waxed my arms (including underarms) and legs and bikini line, leaving the small patch between my legs (no force on earth could get me to wax _there_), and then destroyed the roots so they couldn't grow again. And just like that, I was clean forever. Lucky me.

I washed my face on the sink and dried it with a soft puffy, towel then ran a hand through my hair a few times before going out.

He was standing in the middle of the room, grinning, with a box in his left hand. I recognized the label and laughed. "I thought you might like to play considering you are too tired to sleep," he shook the scrabble box, still grinning.

I walked up to him and took the box from his hands. "Fine," I smiled at him, "but I start."

He laughed. "Of course." He sat down cross-legged on the plush carpet and patted the spot in front of him. I complied, using my hand to make sure the shirt doesn't slip up. I opened the box and set up the board, handing him a letter holder and taking one for myself. I took out a paper for the scores and the pencil that came with it. I shook the bag with the letters and handed it to him.

"If I start then you get to pick letters first," I said at his confused expression. I smiled at him. How could he not know these things? He told me he's played before.

"I did," he said while he picked out letters, "but, at the time, we just flipped a coin for both starting and picking letters."

"Ah." I took the bag from him and picked out my seven letters, "Well, this should be interesting."

"Oh yes," he wiggled his eyebrows at me. I laughed and the game began.

One hour and many laughing fits later, we were down to the last of our letters and he was winning by a good forty-some points. Though, I'm sure he went easy on me. I frowned at my letters; I had a G, a T, and an O left; all completely useless in this situation. I frowned harder, willing my mind to come up with something, anything.

Nothing.

I had realized, very early in the game, that my vocabulary was pitifully void. I had learned a good seven words in the duration of the game, three of which I couldn't even pronounce.

And then his fingers were at my forehead, smoothing my creased brow. I looked up at his amused eyes. "If you keep frowning like that, sweetheart, it's going to become permanent." I sighed dramatically and smoothed out my face. He chuckled and I couldn't help but smile back. "Much better," he kissed me softly, the grin never leaving his face, "What do you say we pack up and call it a night? This game is obviously not going anywhere." His eyes were sparkling in the now bright room; I had convinced him to add a few candles so that he could see clearly without damaging his eyes. His smile reached his ears. He was so glorious.

"Fine," I pouted, "but you'll see, next time, I'll be the one wearing that smug grin."

"I doubt it," he smiled at me sweetly.

I stuck my tongue out at him. He just chuckled and kissed my forehead.

We put the game away, making sure not to miss any letters. I got up and stretched my stiff back while Arkarian put the box in the dresser.

He turned back to me and I went up and wrapped my arms around his slim waist, laying my head against his hard chest. I sighed contentedly when he hugged me back, kissing the top of my head as he pulled me closer to him.

"I'm hungry," I murmured shyly. Arkarian laughed at this, his chest shaking with the sound. I peeked up at him to see his eyes glittering in amusement. He shook his head and, taking my hand, led me out of the room. Arkarian pulled me through the dark hallway, past the main chambers to an adjoining corridor. He opened the door to a very modern day kitchen, fluorescent lights and all.

The walls were lined with a marble counter with wooden cabinets and drawers underneath. The oven and fridge were built-in and designed to look like any other cabinet. There was an elevated bar in the middle with a bowl of fruit as a centerpiece.

It was all impeccably neat and clean, like it's never been used before.

"I'm guessing you don't cook very often?" I asked conversationally as I hosted myself up to sit on the edge of the bar.

"I mostly live in the Citadel," Arkarian answered, opening the freezer, "I just keep a few things in case I need a snack or have the rare visitor," he turned back to me and smiled, "Ice cream?" He held up two Hagen-Dazs buckets.

"Yum!" I love ice cream.

Arkarian laughed at the enthusiasm in my voice. "Chocolate chip or vanilla?" he opened a drawer and produced two spoons, taking two bowls from the cabinet before making his way over to me.

"Mmm..." I pursed my lips while I tried to decide, "Both!" Nothing like a little mix and match.

Arkarian smiled and scooped some into both bowls, handing one to me and taking one for himself. "Bon appetit mon amour."

I smiled and took a big spoonful, grimacing slightly when I was harshly reminded that it was freezing cold. It was delicious, of course. Arkarian was eating his slowly, watching me the whole time with a big smile on his face.

"Arkarian?" I tried to make some coversation after a few minutes of silence, feeling very self concious under his violet gaze.

"Hmm?" He answered distractedly, eating a spoonful of ice cream.

"Happy Birthday," I said, all of a sudden remembering that this was, in fact, the exact date six hundred years ago we went back to to save him and I suddenly felt very guilty for not bringing him anything.

Arkarian looked surprised to say the least, "How did you know it was my birthday?"

I smiled widely at him, "You were the cutest little thing ever to come out of a woman's womb," I said in that annoying voice you use when you're talking to a toddler, putting my empty bowl down to pinch his cheeks lightly.

His eyes lit up with realisation and, I swear, he went completely red. He gulped and the blush reduced slightly, "You were there at my birth," He stated, setting his bowl down on top of mine.

My smile widened, "Which, by the way, technically means that I'm older than you."

"Sure," he's smiling now, apparently over his embarrassment, "And I must say, you are still absolutely beautiful."

I just laugh, "Exactly how old are you anyway?"

"I just turned six hundred and thirty two," Arkarian says matter-of-factly, "Which makes you, madam, six hundred and forty eight," he laughs when I grimace, "It's going to happen sometime," he's serious now, afraid this information is going to scare me off or something.

"Just because I accepted the gift to stop agening," I say in an exasperated tone, "Doesn't mean I'm completely used to the idea. I mean, it's just hard to imagine living for such a long period of time."

"It's okay," he smiles at me wisely, "You'll get used to it soon enough. I didn't completely believe it until I was eighty some and still as young and strong as the day I turned eighteen."

"Did you have blue hair then?" I've been wondering when exactly his hair and eyes changed color for him, and if it will be the same with me too.

He looks thoughtful for a moment, but then shakes his head, "I don't remember, actually."

I smile at him, another thought coming to mind, "Well, Lorian taught you a lot of skills during your time as his apprentice, right?" Arkarian nods yes, "Well, do you remember what your original skills were?"

He smiles at me knowingly, "Truthseeing and Summoning. I can summon objects to me. As long as I know where it is, I can call for it, and it will appear," he continues to explain at my confused expression.

"Like you do with the stools," I say, understanding. He smiles. "Does it matter how big the object is. Is there any limits or things like that?" I was really curious at what he could do. I mean, he had over six centuries to perfect his skills, both his given ones and the ones he was taught.

"That, my love," he kisses my nose, "is a conversation for another time. It's late, you are fed, and it's time for bed."

I pout and swing my legs in defiance, "But I'm not sleepy," I whined.

Arkarian chuckles at my babyish tone, "What do you want to do then?"

I look up at the ceiling, pretending to think for a minute, "Kiss me," I finally answer, looking back down at him.

"Okay," he says, leaning in. There's a glint in his eye that tells me he's not being completely compliant. His lips brush against mine for the faintest moment before he pulls back, grinning.

I sigh and roll my eyes, "Must I do everything?" His soft chuckle is cut off by my lips crashing against his. It takes him a minute to respond, but then he's kissing me with the same fervour as I was him, gently, always gently. I wrap my arms around his neck, the kiss deepening as our tongues clash.

We kiss for a minute or two before I felt myself wanting more. More of him, more than just a kiss. I wanted all of him actually, and I wanted it right now. I felt the need to touch him and my hands responded before my mind could register. They slid from around his neck to feel down the perfect planes of his chest and I wondered at the soft smoothness of his skin.

It takes him a moment to realise what is happening, my actions giving me away, and he pulls back quickly. "Isabel," his tone held a warning, his look disapproving.

I frowned in confusion, "What's wrong?"

He sighs deeply, "I'm sorry; that was completely out of line," he removes my hands from his chest, "I shouldn't have kissed you like that and I'm sorry if I gave you the wrong impression."

I'm more confused now, "What do you mean? Don't you want this?"

"Of course I do," Arkarian says like it's the most obvious thing in th world, "But you don't know what you're asking for Isabel," his tone turns serious, "There's more to sex than just pleasure."

"You think I don't know that?" I was angry now, "I've seen my friends heartbroken over sex! Sex can ruin lives! I' m not a child Arkarian. It may seem that way to you, but I'm not, and I'm tired of being treated like one! I know what I'm doing and I know what I want. I want this," I cupped his face, "I want _you_," I whispered.

"No," Arkarian answers simply.

"Why?" I couldn't keep the hurt out of my voice.

"I won't take that risk with you, Isabel," his resolve never wavered, "I can't afford to make that mistake. I've waited so long for a partner in this life; I refuse to ruin this one chance with hasty decisions. I could never live with myself if I hurt you that way," his tone softened, "Just wait, my love. We have an eternity to be together that way, to be together any way we want. Just wait a few years-"

"Wait for what, Arkarian?" My anger was returning, "Wait for one of us to die. Don't look at me that way, Arkarian; you know it could happen at any time! I'm ready for this, I want this and, unless you lied to me, so do you."

"I did not lie," He cut in.

"Then I don't see the problem," I saw the determination in his eyes and I knew that my reasoning was not working, "Don't make this mistake, Arkarian," I pleaded, "It won't hurt to try," I whispered finally.

We stared at each other, neither willing to give in. Finally, he sighed and closed his eyes for a moment before looking back at me, "You're sure?"

"Yes." He saw the sincerity in my eyes; he knew I had meant it.

"If you feel uncomfortable, or I hurt you in any way-"

"I won't hesitate to stop you," I interjected, staring him straight in the eye. Arkarian took a deep breath, knowing I had meant every word, and nodded. I decided to make this easy for him and initiated contact. I kissed him but he was stiff and unresponding. I pressed my lips harder against his, but still, his barely moved.

I pulled back and looked away, feeling utterly hurt and dejected. As much as I wanted this, I wasn't going to force him into it, and he obviously did not want me that way. I felt the tears well up and I struggled to keep them at bay, biting my lip to keep it from trembling. My heart ached in my chest as rejection washed through my body. I felt so stupid. How could I actually believe that he wanted me that way?

"Isabel," his tone was apologetic; pleading, "Isabel, look at me," I ignored him, "Please look at me, Isabel."

I made sure the tears were under control before looking back at him. He looked so sad. "I'm so sorry Isabel," He saw the moisture in my eyes, "I didn't mean to hurt you."

"Don't you want me?" I asked, my voice breaking as the tears spilt over.

"Of course I want you, how could anyone not want you?" he said, his eyes pleading for understanding, "It's just," Arkarian took a deep breath, running his hands over his face while he tried to find a way to explain, "It's just so hard; to be eighteen for six hundred years; the same body, the same hormones the same... desires," he looked into my eyes, "I've wanted you since before you were born," he paused to grimace, "That sounds really sick doesn't it?" I smile through my tears, letting out a small giggle, "you see, I want this so much, much more than you can imagine," the sincerity in his eyes made it impossible to doubt him, "but I feel so selfish; giving in when you are so much more important."

"It's not selfish if I want it too," I cut him off

Arkarian takes my face between his hands, wiping at my tears with his thumbs, "Even I make mistakes Isabel," he kisses me softly, "I don't want to lose you over this," he sighs, "Is it too much to ask for to try again?"

**Lemon!!**

I smile and capture his lips in a passionate kiss. He kisses me back this time and it looks like he's just as eager as I am. Our kiss finally slows and he pulls away. "If you don't mind," his eyes were glinting with excitement and... lust? "I'd rather our first time not be in the kitchen."

I laugh and hop off the counter taking his hand and pulling him back the way we came to the bedroom. We enter, closing the door behind us and almost immediately, we are kissing again. There was a neediness to the way he kissed me, like he wanted to kiss me until he was satisfied yet he knew he would always want more. Our lips were at a dead lock, parting for breath only to clash back again with more vigor. I was so preoccupied with his tongue that I hardly noticed his hands move to my lower back, scrunching up the material of my- well, his- shirt until he reached the hem and pulled it up and over my head, breaking our wild kiss. The cool air hit me like a ton of bricks, raising goosebumps as every soft hair on my body stood on end. I gasped at the shock, painfully aware of my hardened nipples.

Arkarian's lips were instantly back on mine and I was so glad he had not taken the time to look at me; I would have been a little uncomfortable with that. He had his arms around me, one hand resting lightly on my waist, the other between my shoulderblades, pressing our chests together. Surprisingly, I did not mind in the least; the touch of his warm skin was a welcome one.

Arkarian led me to the bed and laid me down carefully so that my head was on a pillow. He hovered between my bent knees, supporting himself over me with his arms. He leaned down to kiss me, and this time it was not my lips. He kissed my nose, my lips, my chin, down my neck. He kissed tenderly along my collar bone, all the way to my small exposed shoulder.

I ran my hands through his hair to keep it from tickling me; I doubt he would appreciate me laughing right now. I concentrated on keeping my breathing even while Arkarian placed feather light kisses along my shoulders, slowly working his way back to my mouth. Our kiss grows more passionate with each passing second and soon I find it hard to breathe. How Arkarian has enough control to be gentle while we're kissing like this, I will never know.

The kiss changes at some point, becomes erotic as he sucks, gently of course, on my lower lip. I moan into his mouth and my hands move of their own accord to run down his muscular back. Arkarian still hovers over me and I suddenly cannot stand the space between us. I push down on his back. My efforts are useless of course; I was no where near strong enough to forcefully push him down, but he got the message and his hands slid along the silky sheets, lowering himself so that he was pressed lightly against me without me feeling any of his weight.

We kept kissing, our tongues twisting with each other. He still had his pants on and I found that a bit unfair considering I was only in thin white cotton panties. My arms were too short to reach so I slid my big toe under his waist band, pushing it down as far as I could and he kicked it off the rest of the way. I realized he wasn't wearing any underwear and my breath cought at the thought of him naked on top of me.

Arkarian broke broke our lips apart to look at me. His eyes studied my face, calculating. He came to a decision quickly and pulled himself back to kneel between my legs. His long, elegent fingers slid under the edge of my underwear and I knew there was no turning back after this. I swallowed deeply but remained still, giving him my consent. He pulled the cloth down my legs, discarding it once it was off.

Arkarian's eyes travelled up my body slowly, seeing me for the first time. His gaze finally found mine and there was an indiscernible expression in his eyes. We stared at each other for a moment and I dared not look anywhere but at his face. He rested his hand lightly on my bent knee, keeping it there for a moment; waiting to see if I would push it off. I didn't. It felt nice actually. I was being touched for the first time.

Arkarian's hand slid down my leg slowly, down to cup my ankle. He brought my foot up to kiss it lightly. His hand went back up the way it came, his lips following straight behind it. I held my breath and swallowed my moans. I was quickly becoming aroused as pressure started to build in my abdomen. I snapped when his hand rubbed at my upper thigh; pushing myself into sitting position, I caught his lips in a sweet but urgent kiss when his head snapped up in surprise.

"Enough with the foreplay, Arkarian," I said quietly, kissing him again before pulling back to demand, "make love to me now."

I barely managed to get that out before my lips were back on his. He complied, pushing me back down against the bed, never breaking the kiss. This time, he did not hold his weight; instead, his hands continued their exploration of my body, sliding up my legs to my hold hips. I moaned at the feeling of him crushing me into the sheets.

Arkarian entered me then, swiftly breaking my maidenhead and filling me fully. I gasped, my head rolling back as I arched into him.

It hurt. It hurt a lot actually, but I hurriedly healed myself. I was stretched to my limit or maybe even more and my walls clamped down around him as I tried to accommodate his length. If there was something to learn from this experience, it was that Arkarian was very very well equipped. And he felt so gloriously good inside me.

I moaned as the stretching lessened, became pleasurable, and my legs unconsciously shifted apart. I noticed then that Arkarian was kissing my neck, staying completely still as I adjusted to him. Bless his sweet soul.

"I'm ready now," I whispered.

He kissed below my ear, "I love you," he murmured.

Arkarian rode me gently, his thrusts slow and deep and we soon found our rhythm. My lips never left his skin, kissing along his neck and shoulders or nibbling on his ear. His hands seemed to be everywhere at once and I was soon lost in his touch.

It seemed that we were one entity, moving and breathing and moaning together. I could hear nothing but our panting, feel nothing but our sweaty skin sliding against each other, creating wonderful friction. We lost ourselves in the midst of passion till there was no him and there was no I; there was only us, us and our love and our souls merging.

Oh, and his manhood. His wonderful member, how it pulsated between my throbbing lips. I knew that I would feel hollow and empty the second it leaves my wet folds.

His thrusts were getting faster and harder and I could tell he was nearing his release. I came before him, the pressure in my abdomen becoming unbearable. It was my second orgasm of the night and much stronger than the first. I shuddered violently, my nails digging into his back as I moaned his name. My legs twitched as the last wave of pleasure passed.

Arkarian followed right after me, jerking inside me with his last thrust as he released, groaning into my neck. We lay like that for a few minutes, both of us exhausted and sore, before Arkarian rolled off of me.

**Lemon over.**

I turned my head to the side to look at him. Arkarian smiled and kissed my forehead, "We should get to sleep now; it's almost dawn."

I giggled, "We were at it for that long?" I laughed now; on a post-orgasmic high. I sat up slowly, trying to hold down my giggles, and pushed the covers down to climb under while Arkarian did the same, smiling widely and shaking his head at my statement.

I curled into his side, laying my head against his chest. He wrapped one arm around me, the other going behind his head. I giggled sleepily as an idea came to me, "How was that for a birthday present?"

I felt him shake in silent laughter, "It was the most amazing experience I have ever had," he says sincerely.

I sigh and close my eyes, falling asleep almost instantly; wishing we could be this way forever. "I love you," I mumbled before my dreams took me.

* * *

**there! my longes chapter to date! over six thounsand words. dont worry i already patted myself on the back. ;)**

**okay tell me what u think of that. its my first lemon scene so be gentle. **

**:) R&R and i'll update faster!**


	5. Chapter 5

**for those of you who decided to skip the extreme example of my perversion getting away from me aka ch.4 here's the safe overview**

**OVERVIEW: Isabel went home to find her mom and Jimmy doing the deed on the living room couch. She flees and goes back to Arkarian. He comforts her and she temporarily forgets her unfortunate encounter. they play scrabble and after a series of hormone induced actions on Isabel's part they end up making love. (i cant believe it took me six thousand some words to get this picture when i could've done it in less than a paragraph!!)**

**for those of you who did read the chapter i dont know if you noticed but Isabel is left with three letters : a G, a T, and an O. if you switch them around a little bit you get:**

**_G.O.T _!!**

**lolz !! dont u love little jokes like that? of course Isabel wouldnt know anything about that would she?**

**anywho **

**on with the story!! **

* * *

Rochelle POV

Ethan's doing a great job training Neriah, and under his careful guidance, she's progressing quickly. I guess he's a natural.

Since school is out, we make use of most of the morning concentrating on building up her physical abilities and the afternoons are spent exercising her power of bringing drawings to life. So far, it was the only one that has showed up. She can now control her creations, but making them last for more than a few minutes is proving difficult. I suppose that comes with practice.

Mostly, we trained outside, enjoying the sounds and smells of nature. But, unfortunately, it had snowed last night, making physical activities impossible without getting our feet soaked through, so we decided to train in Arkarian's chamber today.

We walked through the open door still laughing at Ethan's dripping face. We'd had a snow ball fight on the way here and he'd made the mistake of going easy on us because we were girls.

Idiot.

You'd think he'd learn his lesson considering he had trained Isabel of all people. Neriah had surprised me, hitting him in the same cheek twice. She'd apologized profusely afterward, while trying to suppress her giggles. It was the first time in a long time that I felt truly happy and carefree; I don't think I've ever laughed so hard. I mean really laugh; no pretending.

It felt nice.

I followed Ethan through the corridor, Neriah trailing behind me, to a room just before the main chambers. I was a little surprised to find Isabel and Arkarian there, in what looked like a training room with mats and bars and weapons on the far wall, complete with mannequins for target practice. They were going hand to hand and it was obvious that Arkarian had the advantage by a long shot; he was twice her size and several times stronger yet just as fast and agile. But Isabel stubbornly fought on and I sensed this wasn't about winning, but rather a test of strength and endurance. And judging by the grins on their faces, they were enjoying it a lot.

Ethan motioned us in and we sat down silently along the wall to watch.

Arkarian was never more than gentle with her, stopping every attack that slipped through her defenses just before impact so that he never actually hit her. It didn't happen very often, though. If she couldn't block the attack, she evaded it, and if she couldn't evade, she counter attacked, making him withdraw.

They moved in a constant cycle, Arkarian always a step ahead with Isabel struggling, and managing very well in my opinion, to keep up. I'm sure I wouldn't have lasted half as long in her place.

Isabel went for a punch to the face but Arkarian grabbed it easily, twisting it and pinning her right hand to her left shoulder then doing the same with her left hand so that her back was against his chest and there was no means of escape.

Isabel let out a breathless laugh, struggling pointlessly against his iron grasp. She was panting heavily, her flat toned stomach rising and falling with each gasping breath. Sweat drenched her sports bra and made a shiny layer on her exposed skin.

Arkarian kissed her clammy cheek, "Enough for now," he let go of her hands and smiled up at as "we have guests."

She saw us and smiled brilliantly, "Hey guys!"

Ethan chuckled at her enthusiasm and got up off the floor to greet her. Neriah followed suit, brushing off the back of her jeans.

I sighed and got up but stayed in my place; I wasn't exactly on very good terms with Isabel.

_There's only one way to fix that, _Arkarian was looking at me with kind eyes.

I scoffed. _Right! I ignored her for a year and a half and then broke her brother's heart, I'm sure a hug will erase all that. _Who was he kidding? She may never forgive me for everything that I've done, so let's just leave it at that.

_No, it won't, but it's a start, _he said wisely, _and ignoring her some more certainly won't fix anything. She can't forgive you if you don't give her the chance._

I knew that all he said was true and I knew that I was being an idiot by not following his advice, but I stood there stubbornly and refused to move. Arkarian shook his head sadly and sighed. _You're not helping anything Rochelle. _

_Maybe I'm just not the friendly type._

He didn't buy it. _You're doing fine with Neriah._

He was right of course. I _was_ getting along fine with Neriah. Great even. We have something in common, her and I; we were both tainted by Marduke; whether by our actions or through blood, we both have a piece of his evil inside us and we were both running from it.

But I had a history with Isabel. She had been willing to accept me as a sister and I had shoved it in her face, simply because I couldn't deal with the guilt it brought on; it was bad enough trying to live with myself while I took advantage of Matt's love. I was beyond grateful that I no longer had to do things like that, now that I was with the guard, but I still had to live with the consequences of my actions.

I sighed and walked over, standing a little ways off. I gave her a small half smile, "Hi." Talk about keeping it simple.

She smiled back at me, "Hello Rochelle."

I saw Arkarian smile approvingly from behind her.

"I'm gonna go take a shower, I'll see you in a few," she gave us one last smile and turned back to give Arkarian a quick kiss before taking a towel from a chair I hadn't noticed before and disappeared out the door.

Arkarian watched her leave and then turned to us, a smile lingering on his lips, "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Heavy snow and inflation in the shoe market," Ethan stated. Neriah giggled.

Arkarian gave him a disapproving look but couldn't suppress a small smile, "Very funny, I'm sure. You're turning out to be quite the comedian, Ethan. Now, come, show me how far you've gotten." He went to sit on the chair to watch and Ethan began his instruction. I leaned on the wall a little ways off and tuned out as Ethan went over the basic rules of archery.

Somewhere in the middle of Ethan telling Neriah how to aim, Isabel came back. She'd changed out of her sports bra and shorts into a simple jeans and shirt ensemble. Arkarian's face immediately lit up when she entered the room. She smiled widely at him and went to sit in his lap. They kissed softly and then wrapped their arms around each other.

Isabel played distractedly with Arkarian's fingers, while his other hand rubbed her back gently. There was something different about the two. It wasn't a very big difference, but I couldn't help noticing the slight change in their behavior while together. They seemed to breath together, shift together, as if they unconsciously knew exactly how to make the other comfortable without the need for words. They couldn't keep their hands off of each other, or their eyes for that matter.

Arkarian would be watching the training session, only to have his eyes shift to Isabel and back every minute or so. Isabel studied his hands carefully as if memorizing every patch of skin, every line and vein that showed. Something happened between those two; something good by the looks of it; the smile never left either of their faces.

In between their cuddling and Ethan's instructing, I could tell it would be a long day, so I offered to go get some food for everyone. I took my time, enjoying the crisp air; they were safe inside Arkarian's chambers, especially with him there. The intense whiteness of the snow hurt my eyes a little, but it was beautiful nonetheless. I got the food with extra large coke and fries for everyone.

We sat down in a small circle and Arkarian grimaced when he saw the fast food. Isabel elbowed him playfully and laughed at his expression.

"Honestly, I don't understand how you can stand to have that mass produced...junk in your digestive system," Arkarian grimaced again, "It's disgusting. And those fries look nothing like potatoes. I bet they don't even taste like potatoes. Really, those drinks probably have more caffeine in them than coffee does, not to mention sugar. At least coffee doesn't have-"

"Oh shut up!" Isabel almost screamed, "Honestly, Arkarian, you're worse than a spoilt rich snob when her parents get her the wrong Barbie for her birthday! Just eat it, or I'll do it for you. Our first argument is not going to be over Burger King, so stop ranting and start eating!"

We stared at her with wide, shocked eyes; Arkarian included. Her eyes darted between us and then she blushed at her sudden outburst, chewing the food in her mouth slowly before swallowing it. "Sorry," she mumbled quietly, her eyes downcast.

Ethan burst out laughing, breaking the tension that was starting to build up. "Arkarian... rich... snob... haha... Barbie... Isabel's face!" he sputtered, gasping for breath.

Neriah giggled softly, "That was kind of funny." She giggled again and I took a bite of my burger to hide my smile. Arkarian chuckled softly and Isabel blushed again. He took her hand and squeezed it gently. She smiled at him apologetically and they kissed in forgiveness. It was all very sweet.

"Okay, let's eat up before they get cold," Ethan said once he'd sobered up, and Arkarian tried very hard to suppress the grimace that came.

Isabel giggled and nudged him softly, "You haven't even tried it yet! Don't be so judgmental."

Arkarian could only get himself to eat half his burger and Isabel finished it off for him, along with his untouched fries and coke. Who knew such a small thing could eat so much?

"Can't a girl eat?" she said indignantly when Ethan made a comment about it.

"Obviously, she can; she can eat a lot," he'd joked and she stuck her tongue out at him.

We cleaned up after us, and Ethan went straight back to his lesson, getting out a paper and pen for Neriah to draw with while Isabel worked with Arkarian on her psyche. I decided to do something useful and practiced controlling my hands like Lady Arabella taught me to.

After dropping off Neriah and making sure she made it inside safely, I finally went home, my hands stinging like hell. I poured a glace of water and fetched some Tylenol from the medicine cabinet. I swallowed the last pill, helping it down with the water. I knew it wouldn't last the night and I would probably end up with three hours of sleep tops. The pharmacy doesn't close for another two hours, so I grabbed my purse and headed out.

Imagine my surprise when I find Isabel there.

"Isabel?" she was squatting down in one of the isles, staring intently at different boxes, trying to compare them. She jumped at the sound of my voice, startled, and lost her balance. She fell forward, knocking down some of the items, and hit her head on the shelf.

"Shit! Ow!" she swore, rubbing her head. She looked up and saw me. "Oh, hi Rochelle," she sounded nervous, which was a surprise on its own. She rushed to put the dropped boxes back on the shelf and I noticed her hand shake. I knelt down and helped her. Why would Isabel be in a pharmacy of all places? She could reconstruct organs for crying out loud!

"What are you doing here Isabel? It's not like you would need any of this stuff." That's when I noticed the label on the front box of the shelf. "Pregnancy tests?" I asked skeptically. I looked at her questioningly. She looked scared almost. "Why would you need a pregnancy test?" I gasped as realization hit me. "You're pregnant?!"

She covered my mouth with her hand. "Shhh!" she hissed, "I could be wrong." She sounded unsure and I knew she didn't believe it any more than I did. She sighed at my incredulous expression and looked down, her hair covering her face. "It wouldn't hurt to check," she whispered. Her tone was heartbreakingly sad and frightened.

"How long have you known?" I asked gently after she removed her hand. I wasn't sure if this news was good or bad. Bit of both, I think.

"As soon as it happened," she murmured guiltily, "I didn't believe it at first, but then, a few days later, I started throwing up and I would get dizzy if I so much as stood up too quickly. And then this afternoon, the whole thing with Arkarian." She laughed humorlessly, "I was more moody than when I'm on my period."

She looked up at me with wide, frantic eyes, "Rochelle, you can't tell anyone," She pleaded, "I could be wrong; I know it's highly unlikely but there's still that small chance. I haven't told anyone Rochelle, not even Arkarian," she was talking fast now and it was hard to understand her rushed words, "Oh God! What am I going to tell Arkarian? Matt will flip and then he'll kill Arkarian, and I'll have to raise the baby alone. And-" her voice broke and she started to sob, "What am I going to do?"

Tears were streaming down her face and I instinctively hugged her. I wasn't exactly the touchy-feely kind of girl (and neither was Isabel) but I sensed she needed some sort of comfort. I let he sob into my shoulder, trying not to feel too awkward, and waited till she calmed down. "You know these tests won't tell you anything that you don't already know?" I said motioning to the pregnancy tests with my head.

She sniffed and wiped her tears with her sleeve, "I know," sniff, "but I just need it to be final," she smiled at me sadly, "I need that reassurance, Rochelle."

"Okay," I took a deep breath and did some quick thinking, "why don't you grab a few of these and you can take the tests at my house. I doubt your mother would be very happy if she found them in the trash. I promise I won't tell anyone, no matter what the result, unless you give the okay."

She smiled up at me, "Really? You would do that for me?" I nodded. "Thank you so much Rochelle! I owe you." She hugged me and grabbed about half a dozen of them. I found what I was looking for and we went to the cashier.

"Um, Isabel?" I said when I noticed the price, "you picked the best brand they have. How are you going to pay for all these?"

She snorted, "My mom opened an account for me when I started winning competitions with ridiculously high amounts for prize money. I've never had anything to spend it on, so I guess it just piled up."

"Oh. Okay then."

She paid for the tests and my pills with a credit card. I didn't dare argue after the glare she gave me. Normal Isabel can be very scary; pregnant Isabel is downright terrifying. We barely made it home before Isabel ran to the sink and revisited her lunch. I held out a glass of water for her but she waved it off and threw up again. She rinsed out her mouth before cleaning the sink.

"Why did you eat so much if you know you're going to throw it up?" I asked as I handed her a towel. Poor Isabel; I can't imagine what she's going through.

"I happened to lose my breakfast earlier that day," she said sourly.

"I'm guessing you did more than just shower?" she nodded. I sighed, "Well, let's get this over with. The bathroom's right down the hall." I pointed it out for her and gave her the bag of tests. "Read the instructions first."

She took it but stayed there. "Thank you so much Rochelle," she said quietly, eyes brimming with moisture. She gave me a small smile and took off down the hall before I had the chance to reply. I sighed; this would be a long night.

**okay! there u go my sweets. it was hell trying to write this chapter. i have no idea how to be cynical; my brother is always on my case cause i smile way too much, so it was hard keeping it in character.**

**i hope u all enjoyed and if u didnt then that's okay too.**

**R&R!**


	6. Chapter 6

**latest update my loves!**

**hope u like it!**

Isabel POV

I was shaking. My knee bounced uncontrollably and I didn't even bother trying to stop it; I was too busy breathing. I was trying my hardest not to hyperventilate. It was bad enough having to burden Rochelle with this; she didn't have to deal with an emotional breakdown on top of it. I checked my wrist watch. One minute to go. I'd timed it with the last test so I could just check them all at once.

I didn't need sixth sense, or visions for that matter, to know exactly what the result would be; my healing skills were enough. I needed proof, though. I wanted, no needed, to know if the life I feel inside of me is just that, a feeling; a figment of my imagination. I certainly hoped so because if what I felt was true, then it wasn't just one life; there were more than one.

Four, to be exact.

_Breathe...in...out... no need to panic... Breathe... you could be wrong... _I kept repeating.

_Fat chance,_ my more logical side reasoned. I shouldn't be surprised really. Arkarian's father is one of a triplet and my family has a long line of twins; that we should conceive more than one at a time was almost expected. But it still scared the shit out of me. I had no idea how to take care of a child. Not one, but four. At the same time.

Rochelle sat in a chair next to me, looking at the floor awkwardly while she rubbed her hands together. I could tell they hurt so I did my best to ease her pain. She looked up at me and murmured a quiet "thank you" before going back to staring at the floor. I was really glad she let me do this; if it wasn't for her, I'd have to use a public rest room and they creep me out. I couldn't take the risk of doing it in my own home; if mom found one by accident, she'd ask me about it and I'd have to lie considering the only potential father couldn't be seen in public. And then, she'd probably go to Matt, asking whether he knew about me having a boyfriend. I shuddered to think of what Matt would do if he found out I'd taken a pregnancy test.

My alarm went off, bringing me out of my reverie.

I took a deep breath and tried to steady my shaking hands enough to read the result.

Positive.

I looked at the second one, my hands trembling.

Positive.

Tears clouded my vision and I had to look at the third one twice to make sure I saw correctly.

Positive.

Positive. Positive. Positive.

They were all positive.

I was pregnant.

I broke down then, dropping the tests to the floor as the room started shaking. Only, it wasn't the room; it was me. I tried to breathe but my lungs wouldn't respond. The tears spilt over and I forced in a shaky breath, the air hurting my throat.

I wrapped my arms around my waist and rocked myself back and forth, trying to calm down.

Rochelle sat there awkwardly, trying to figure out what to do. I knew she wanted to call someone but she'd promised not to tell anyone until I was ready. I thanked her through my thoughts, not able to speak just yet. She nodded slightly and went to answer the phone that had started ringing sometime during my hysteria.

I let the tears fall until I had no more to cry. I wasn't ready for a baby; let alone four. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against children. In fact, I preferred them to most adults I know. They were so small and trusting and so curious about everything. But I was sixteen! I didn't know the first thing about being a mother!

Rochelle came back and sat down quietly. "The school called," she said softly, as if fearing that I would blow up at any second's notice, "apparently, they got all they need and they're starting back up tomorrow."

This helped me calm down a little and I snorted. "Tomorrow's Friday!"

She rolled her eyes, "Stupid; I know."

I got up slowly; getting dizzy was the last thing I needed right now, "Well, I better go; I promised Arkarian I wouldn't be too late." I picked up the stupid tests from the floor and threw them in the trash on my way out. I stopped at the door and turned around, "Thanks again. For everything."

Rochelle nodded stiffly, uncomfortable with my expressed gratitude. I walked out of the house just as Rochelle's stepmother parked her car. I forced a smiled and waved at her and she waved back.

Most of the snow had melted during the day and would probably all be gone by tomorrow morning. That was good; I hated going to school in the snow. In fact, I hated going to school period.

I started walking up the mountain slowly but then changed direction and went to the park instead, holding back tears the whole way. There was no one there of course; it was cold and the ground was wet and muddy, but I didn't care.

I sat on the wet swing and deliberated on how to tell Arkarian. How does one tell the love of their life that she is pregnant with his child? Well, children actually. I could hardly accept it myself.

I had school tomorrow, which meant this was the last night of my mini vacation with him. It had been nothing but heavenly. The morning after that first night, he'd made me breakfast in bed. It was so sweet of him.

I returned home soon after to collect certain essentials, such as toothbrush, clothes, etc... I talked to my mom just as I'd promised and it had gone surprisingly well. It wasn't as awkward as I'd expected; I knew exactly how she felt. Arkarian had shown me what it meant to make love; the trust it required and the reassurance it gave. I couldn't blame my mom for wanting that. I think she suspected something; mother's intuition and all, but she didn't say anything; she was just glad that I understood and that I was no longer uncomfortable around either of them.

The rest of the week had gone equally well. We talked about everything. Arkarian told me stories; stories of his past. Often times, I would find myself crying for my lover's abused childhood and then he would hold me close and kiss away my tears, whispering in my ear that everything was alright, that he was the happiest he could ever be now that I was here with him. That would always make me smile, especially when he would continue on to relate to me some hilarious mishap that happened to him during his time in the guard. I must admit, he did have a couple laughs over the course of his very long life span.

And, in turn, I told him what it was like growing up in the twentieth century. I even rented DVDs we could watch. I got a large variety of movies; romance, comedy, romantic comedy, action (which he found incredibly ridiculous), horror, science fiction, and I even got The Lion King.

The rooms in his mountains are amazing; they will change into anything you wish, even a cozy sitting room with a very large plasma screen TV complete with a DVD player and a sound surround system.

The movies were always fun to watch together and I would often fall asleep in his arms. Sometimes, we would stay up till the wee hours of the night, discussing the characters and themes. Arkarian found my views very funny, though he listened intently to everything I said so it wasn't in any way insulting.

We made love countless times, each just as sweet and passionate as the last. I could never get enough of the feeling of his hands roaming my body, of his lips moving with mine. I was more comfortable with him now; I no longer blushed when he saw my naked form. If anyone had the right to see me exposed, it was him.

I loved his company, to a point that I depended on it. And in the time I spent with him, locked away in the mountain, I learned a lot about him.

He loved salted peanuts and his favorite sitting position is lying back with his long legs folded carelessly in front of him. His hair was surprisingly even more beautiful when it was wet. The water darkened its color yet giving it a shiny sheen at the same time. The wet strands stuck together into thick locks, creating volume and giving him an anime-like look that complemented his gorgeous eyes. He had a little obsession with my legs; he was always rubbing my thighs or laying them across his lap. I guess they were more of a turn on for him than anything else.

He took me to Athens with him so we could gain a few days. We left the day before the meeting and came back the day after.

We went through the Citadel, as always, and Arkarian's tunic was its usual silver, his hair flowing beautifully around his shoulders while I had a golden tunic with matching golden sash. Arkarian said it stood for honored guest but I sensed that this was only a half truth. I let it go; it's just a tunic. My hair was pulled up in a neat bun with a net made of gold threads and pearls holding it in place. It looked very classy, if I do say so myself.

The first day he took me to the market, and I was awestruck. It was just like Rome except there were no slaves and no smell. Arkarian had laughed at my awed expression and, taking my hand, led me to store after store. The smell of spices always lingered in the air, tantalizing and fresh, as we looked through stands of merchandise. You could find everything here, from food to pottery to clothes; you name it and there would be at least two or three stalls competing in skills and prices.

We went back to the palace at midday, when the heat became unbearable and the hot earth scorched our bare feet. That night, we'd shared an intimacy greater than ever before, and then we'd gazed over the golden courtyard, more beautiful under the moonlight than it was in the sun, while wrapped in each other's arms.

I was interrupted from my blissful memories by the splatter of raindrops. A few seconds later, it began to pour down on me. I got off the swing and hugged my arms around me, cursing myself for not bringing a jacket. I rushed up the mountains, trying to find some cover under the surrounding trees. I was soaking wet and shivering from the cold rain, making it hard for me to concentrate on my current problem; how to tell Arkarian.

I was supposed to have thought it through during the half hour that I'd sat there on the swing, but, instead, my mind had drifted to other more pleasant thoughts. Well, it was time to get back to reality.

I tried rehearsing it in my head, tried to figure out the best way to break the news to him but my mind would always skip to his reaction. And it was always the worst case scenarios.

_Me: I'm pregnant _

_Arkarian: I'm leaving you._

Highly unlikely; he would never stoop that low. I knew he would be there for me. He would make a wonderful father to our children; he practically raised Ethan and look how great he's turned out. But how to _tell_ him?

I was a nervous wreck by the time I reached his chambers, my hands shaking uncontrollably and it wasn't solely from the cold. I'd even stopped to throw up what was left of my lunch on the side of a bush. I knew for a fact that it was too early on to get morning sickness, so it must be my nerves. Every time I thought of telling him, or getting a test, or he would brush against my stomach, or something reminded me of the little creatures that were growing inside my uterus, my stomach would lurch and I'd run to the bathroom.

The only reason I even felt their presence so early on is because there were four of them. I started to get the feeling that something was living inside of me a few days ago and my hormones were all over the place, so I used my healing powers to see what it could possibly be. I never expected what I saw. There, in my now fertile womb, were four _things_; mere clusters of cells, dividing and growing into what will one day be babies. It was terrifying.

I walked through the opening, still not knowing how to tell him. But I did know one thing; I couldn't _not_ tell him. They were his children; he had the right to know. Besides, I kept no secrets from him. And I doubt my growing steadily bigger would go unnoticed. I winced visibly at the last thought.

I could always tell him later. I could bake him cookies and- no, if I waited, I'd chicken out, thinking that it was never the right time or something would come up and I won't be able to tell him until it's too late and he figures it out on his own. He'd be hurt and betrayed that I kept this a secret from him and I couldn't bear that.

I heard a whoosh form behind me and felt two strong, warm arms wrap around my middle. "Hello beautiful," he whispered alluringly in my ear. It was like magic; all my nervousness, all my worries and fears melted away at the simple sound of his voice. I felt my body go lax and lean back into his embrace. Letting out a sigh of relief, I covered his hands with mine, intertwining our fingers. I'd worried over absolutely nothing and I suddenly felt very tired.

He tightened his embrace and leaned down to kiss a pulse point on my neck, "Why did you take off so suddenly?" he sounded curious but I picked up a hint of hurt in his tone. It's a wonder I even noticed it considering his question reminded me of what I came here to say. My heart stopped then picked up double time, slamming loud and hard against my chest.

He let go of me and turned me around to face him when I didn't answer. His brow furrowed in confusion as he tried to figure out what I was trying to keep from him. Then he noticed my hands and his expression turned to concern, "You're shaking," he stated, his eyes shimmering, "What's wrong?" he took my hands to steady them and cupped them between his own, bringing them up to kiss them tenderly. It was warm inside, so he knew it wasn't from the cold, though I probably looked like a wet cat.

I closed my eyes and swallowed the lump in my throat. Tears welled up and spilt from under my eyelids. Arkarian noticed and gasped and the next thing I knew, my face was buried in his warm chest with his arms wrapped lovingly-protectively-around me. I clutched the frond of his shirt tightly as sobs wracked my small body and tears stained his shirt. He ran his hand through my wet hair and kissed my head, whispering words of comfort and it wasn't long until I quieted down. I don't know why I cried; I just did. And, for some unknowable reason, I felt much better now.

I looked up at him and smiled widely, my eyes still red and puffy. He looked bewildered at my sudden change of mood, but he smiled anyway. "I have something to tell you," I said bravely, though my voice shook a little. He waited patiently for me to continue, his eyes telling me to go on. I loved how we could communicate without the need for words. I took a deep breath and tugged my hair behind my ear nervously, swallowing to get some moisture to my dry mouth. "I'm pregnant," I blurted before I could chicken out. Simple and straight to the point. Score for Isabel!

Arkarian, on the other hand, looked completely fazed, his beautiful eyes widening impossibly, his mouth hanging open in an expression of complete surprise. He recovered quickly though. He closed his eyes and swallowed, his Adam's apple bobbing with the action. He reopened his eyes and looked at me evenly, "You're sure?" his voice wavered a little but was otherwise serious. I just nodded once and he took a deep breath that I hadn't noticed he was holding.

He smiled then, surprising me, his eyes softening into a loving expression, "I'm going to be a father," even in his quiet whisper, I could hear his voice overflow with emotion. I smiled at him and let out a chocked laugh as my tears fell again. I hugged him tightly and laughed more freely as he picked me up and spun me.

I laughed and cried tears of joy and he laughed along with me. I was so damn happy. Happy that he was happy, happy that he would take care of me as I knew he would, happy that my children couldn't possibly have a better father.

He put me down and wiped away my tears with his thumb. I was full out sobbing right now. What is wrong with me?! And what is with the water works?!

Arkarian kissed me softly and hugged me close to him, sending waves of calm through me. "Why are you upset, my love?" he laid his cheek on the top of my head and held me closer to him while I tried to calm myself.

"I'm...not u-upset," I stuttered as I tried to talk through my tears, my sentences broken by sobs, "I'm... actually very h-happy. I was just s-so... worried. S-stupid maternity h-hormones."

He chuckled and kissed the top of my head. "There's no need to be worried. Everything's going to be fine."

I sniffed and looked up at him, "I hope so."

He looked at me softly, noticing my appearance for the first time. He led me down the dimly lit hallway while I clutched to his side for dear life. I wasn't crying now but I certainly wasn't stable. I was also incredibly tired from all the emotions.

I heard water running and finally realized where I was. I didn't notice my shirt gone until I heard a wet plop as it hit the floor. The air chilled my wet skin, raising goose bumps. "I have to go home," I told him as steam started to fill the room, "I have school tomorrow."

He stripped me of my jeans and underwear, lifting each foot to take them off. He got up quickly from his crouched position to kiss me softly, "I know," he said eyeing me seriously, "but there's a storm outside and there's no way I'm letting you go under those conditions. Not while it's dark and especially not while you bear my child."

"Children," I said automatically.

Oops.

Major oops. What if he wasn't ready to hear that just yet?

Arkarian looked confused for a moment, and then realization came to him, "Twins?"

"Not quite," I said nervously, "uh... more like quadruplets." _Please don't freak out, please don't freak out, please don't freak out._

Of course, him being none other than Arkarian, he didn't freak out. Quite the opposite really; he made a joke about it. "Really?" he said, flashing me a sly grin, "Looks like someone's been a busy little rabbit."

I hit his arm but he just chuckled. His objective had probably been to cheer me up. It worked; I couldn't help the smile spread across my face. He smiled back at me and kissed me softly.

I took off my bra and entered the steaming water, sighing at the incredible feeling. I dipped my head under the water, staying there until I ran out of breath.

Arkarian sat at the edge of the tub, still fully clothed, watching me shamelessly with a small smile on his beautiful lips. I didn't bathe really; I'd already had two showers that day, I just thawed, the hot water helping my tense muscles to relax. I tried to get him in with me, but he wouldn't budge, saying that he'd already showered. Well, so had I; what's the big deal? I did manage to get him wet though, much to his dismay.

I barely managed to towel myself down before collapsing into the bed. I gathered the sheets around me and sighed into the cushion as sleep began to come. After a long, emotional day, I was completely exhausted.

I heard a low chuckle and felt the bed shift as Arkarian climbed in. I forced my drooping eyes to open to find him smiling at me, our faces a few inches apart. I leaned in, closing the distance between us, to give him a goodnight kiss. He hugged me closer to him, his hand resting on my stomach.

"I can't believe this is happening," I whispered sleepily.

His head moved back a bit to look at me. "Do you... not want these babies?" Even in the darkness, I could see the apprehension in his violet eyes.

"I don't know," I answered truthfully, "I haven't had the time to think about it yet."

He seemed to be content with that, probably glad that I wouldn't run off to get an abortion. Even if I didn't want these babies, or thought I wasn't ready for them, Arkarian obviously did, and I would never hurt him like that. I could never take a life like that.

I sighed and curled into him. I could think about that later, right now, I just wanted to sleep. And that's exactly what I did.


	7. Chapter 7

**newest chappy ! yay!**

**just so u know, i opened a poll on my profile just to know what you want the sex of the babies to be. plz vote or ill just pick a random one.**

**reviews are greatly appreciated (i'm begging here!)**

Isabel POV

I bounced into class, handing a shocked and annoyed Mr. Carter my late note.

"Nice of you to join us Isabel," he said sarcastically.

"Sorry!" I replied gleefully; nothing was going to dampen my mood today. I walked/skipped down the isle to the only empty seat left; which happened to be next to Ethan. He raised his eyebrows at the grin that hadn't left my face since the moment I woke up, his expression amused.

I plopped my book bag down on the desk, simultaneously sitting down. I took out my history book and noticed Ethan was still staring at me with that silly smirk on his face.

"What?" I hissed at him, though I couldn't get my smile to turn down in the least.

"You're glowing," he stated, amusement lacing every letter.

"Am not!" Though I wouldn't be surprised if I was.

"Are too," he turned around in his seat to face Neriah who was sitting one row behind, "Isn't she glowing?"

Neriah took one look at the unconcealed happiness on my face and smiled, "Definitely. By the way, I love your outfit." She added as an afterthought. Ethan pressed his lips together and shook in silent laughter as Mr. Carter glared at him. I waited till Mr. Carter turned around before kicking him.

He muttered a muffled "ouch" and rubbed his leg. I felt my smile widen.

I was wearing a Christmas present I had gotten two years ago. It was my absolute favorite and I only wore it when I was exceptionally happy. The school uniform was still out of effect so I decided it would be a lovely time to put it to good use. It consisted of white denim shorts which reached about mid thigh, though they were a little shorter since I had grown somewhat during the last two years, and a white long sleeved shirt with red flower patterns up the left side which led to a big red heart in the middle, also framed with flower patterns. It was a little tighter than what I would usually wear, but not too bad. I wore it with red and orange striped stockings which came up to just before the shorts, revealing about two inches of skin, and big white fluffy snow boots with big white fluffy balls at the end of each shoe string which bounced along when I walked.

Ethan passed me a note. I sighed and read it; he should know better.

_Care to share?_

I wrote down my reply, hiding the piece of paper under my textbook.

_Share what? _

_I don't know what you're talking about._

I passed him back the note. He rolled his eyes. Obviously, my attempt to play coy wasn't working.

_You practically skipped into the classroom, Isabel._

I scoffed and decided to have a little fun, seeing as my mood's soaring.

_I just really like history._

_Is that so bad?_

He snorted, earning yet another glare from Mr. Carter.

_Right! History has you grinning from ear to ear._

_And pigs can fly (as in naturally born, flesh and blood pigs and not -cough- illusions -cough-)_

_But if you want to keep it a secret, that's fine._

I sighed in relief. I really didn't want to lie to him, but I wasn't prepared to tell him the truth either.

_Thanks __J_

_Where'd I ever find a friend like you?_

He smiled at that.

_Sometimes, I wonder that myself. _

Great; I'd just fueled his ego.

_Jerk._

Ethan laughed quietly and crumpled the paper, stashing it in his pencil case.

I tuned out as Mr. Carter droned on and on about something or the other.

The real reason behind my uplifted spirits was just a dream I'd had last night. Except, it wasn't just a dream; it was by far the best dream I'd had since I can remember.

It was about me and Arkarian (naturally); we were lying down on a bed and he was partially on top of me, supporting his weight with his knees and arms. He was kissing my stomach tenderly, except it didn't look like my stomach, my dream stomach was jutting out, inflated and huge like I had stuck a round balloon under my shirt. He stopped kissing it and laid his ear against it, one hand rubbing the side gently.

"Hello in there," he'd whispered and then kissed my stomach again, "I can't wait to meet you."

There was a second's silence and then a faint gurgling as bumps appeared and then disappeared all around the round expanse of my stomach in response. Arkarian's eyes had brightened, his lips curling into a large smile and I'd giggled at the feeling of them moving and kicking inside me. He crawled up to meet my gaze and the look in his eyes had taken my breath away. It was the look of unending love, of passion and excitement and pure, unconcealed glee. He'd kissed me passionately and then pulled back to look into my eyes.

"You have given me the greatest gift I could ever ask for," he'd whispered, his voice brimming with emotion, just like when he'd found out about being a father.

I had woken to elated violet eyes, telling me he'd seen it too. And I knew then that it was much too vivid to be a dream; I could still remember the weirdness of the feeling of having something move inside me. It was too real; it was a vision.

I realized then that this was the best thing that could ever happen to us, even though it was a bit too early; these babies will bring us closer together more than anything else ever could and I was suddenly excited at the prospect of having them.

I remember what I was feeling while I lay there, with him kissing me, kissing our children.

It was love. A different kind to what I felt towards Arkarian, different also to what I felt for Matt or Ethan. It was the love of a mother for her children; and it came with undeniable urges. The urge to feed them, pamper them, clean them, protect them, hold them; it was all there, intensifying tenfold when I felt them move. The elation that flowed through me was almost maddening.

I'd only had a glimpse of it though, before the vision ended, and I yearned to feel it again. I wanted to feel them kicking again, I wanted to listen to their heartbeat, I wanted to argue with Arkarian over what they would look like or what we should call them, I wanted to hold their little hands while they're wrapped in little blankets. I'd had a glimpse of what it would be like to have Arkarian's children and now I wanted it more than anything.

And I had it.

I smiled and my hand went unconsciously to my stomach, where the precious little things were growing inside me.

The bell rang and my smile widened. I jumped out of my seat and stuffed my books back into my bag. I would have to borrow Ethan's notes during lunch considering I didn't even know what the lesson was about. Other than it had to do something with history, of course. Oh, well; who cares?

I walked out of class, the bounce in my step painfully noticeable, though I could do nothing to fix it. I saw Rochelle glare at Dillon while he pleaded with her about something. I caught her eye and smiled widely, causing her to raise a black eyebrow at me. She understood immediately and smiled back before turning to snap at Dillon for something and then storming off, probably to her next class, with Dillon trailing behind her. I felt a tinge of pity for her, but my jovial mood would not be affected by everyday high school dramas. I shrugged my shoulders and walked/bounced to my next class smiling stupidly.

I entered English and took a seat in the middle; the back was already full. Mr. Welt started the lesson not soon after and I decided to pay attention since this class contributed a lot to my grade. We were currently studying Shakespeare's _Richard III_ and were almost done, thank goodness.

I mean a deformed, lying, sadistic, treacherous, evil, power hungry son of a bitch with the uncanny ability to sweet-talk people into doing what he wants; sound familiar?

Honestly, it's like Marduke personally knew Shakespeare and threatened/talked him into writing a play about him. I wouldn't put it past that egotistical maniac.

But enough about him; back to the lesson.

"_If we be conquered, let men conquer us,_

_And not these bastard Bretons, whom our fathers_

_Have in their own land beaten, bobbed and thumped,_

_And in record, left them to heirs of shame._

_Shall these enjoy our lands, lie with our wives,_

_Ravish our daughters?_" Mr. Welt read, and then went on to explain, "Here, Richard is motivating his men by playing on their pride. He's saying here that if they should be conquered, let them be conquered by men and not some lowly French bastards whom their ancestors ha-"

**(A/N if any of u are confused about the translation, I studied the play from a book called No Fear Shakespeare (provided by the school of course), it's a certain publishing company that translated the Shakespeare plays into modern English so that u have the original on the left page and the translation on the right, and that's exactly what it said in the book.)**

"What's wrong with French bastards?" I asked compulsively. I was a little miffed; I happen to have one as a soul mate. And he just happens to be the wisest, kindest, sexiest (to name a few) man I have ever met or am likely to ever meet. If those French bastards were anything like him, Richard's army should be shaking in fear at their very mention.

"There is nothing wrong with French bastards, Miss Beckett," Mr. Welt replied in an exasperated sigh, earning a few sniggers from the class, "but, at the time, France was an enemy country and illegitimate children were considered disgraceful, and still are," I believe he just insulted my children, "the combination of the two made a very detestable enemy," and now he was insulting Arkarian! "This would motivate Richard's men into killing them." The nerve!

I huffed silently but stayed quiet; no need to attract more attention. Great; my mood had completely gone down the drain.

I couldn't help but mull over what Mr. Welt had said. Is that what people would think if they knew? That my children were illegitimate; disgraceful? There was nothing truer than the love Arkarian and I shared; it was as real as the sun or the earth and just as strong. Our children, the little bundles of joy that grew inside me, were proof of it, physical evidence of our eternal devotion. There was nothing disgraceful about it. If anything, it was the most honorable act we could ever commit; giving life to four little children that could grace the world with their presence and better it with their deeds.

With these last thoughts, I smiled again. Like I said; nothing would ruin my mood today.

The lesson passed quickly after I had zoned out yet again, as did the next lesson. Was it Biology? I couldn't remember. It was all the same to me.

I went to my locker and stashed my bag, securing the lock before heading off in the direction of the cafeteria. I didn't get far before someone pinned me to the lockers. Some jock, by the looks of it, was leaning against the lockers, his hands on either side of me. I glared up at him as he leaned down, smiling suggestively.

"Hey there," he said in what was supposed to be a seductive voice; it sounded like scraping nails against a chalkboard to me, "how 'bout we hang out sometime?" He leaned into me, his face now a few inches away from mine, "It'll be... fun."

I blinked at him. Was he serious?

I checked him out; tight pants and shirt, a completely obvious and futile attempt to show off his muscles, greasy black hair styled into a Mohawk that was falling apart, and seriously bad breath. He was sort of modern day handsome but arrogance radiated from his every feature.

Again; was he serious?

I smiled up at him mockingly. Of course, being the air head he must be to ask me out in the first place, he took it to mean that I was acquiescing to his suggestion and smiled back, revealing cigarette stained teeth. What. An. Idiot.

"Get out of my face," I said slowly so he could understand, "or I'll break your nose, you half-witted asshole." With that, I ducked under his arm and walked off without a second glance.

For most of my life, boys would always keep their distance, courtesy of one very annoying, overprotective brother who happened to be in the habit of scaring off any potential suitors. I didn't really care; most of them weren't worth the effort anyway, but some were more persistent than others, approaching me the second my brother turned his back (which isn't often). I fended them off quite easily; I wasn't interested in any of them. Comparing them to Arkarian, whose mere presence could make me swoon, I was no more attracted to those lowly playboys than I would be to a cow.

Unfortunately, _this_ bozo had to be a persistent one. "Hey, wait up!" I heard him yell from behind me as he grabbed my wrist. He pulled on my hand, turning me to face him and I didn't hesitate. My fist had been ready for him the second he had touched me; I simply let it loose, using the extra twist he had given me against him. It hit him square in the face with sickening cracks, both from my fist and his face.

I turned around and walked away once again, ignoring the crowd that had formed. I looked at my hand, noticing a few splatters of blood, and assessed the damage. I had a broken knuckle, which I healed immediately, unbeknownst to the students who were now giving me a wide berth, and headed to the bathroom to wash off the blood.

I watched the water flow, staining red as it hit my hand. I smirked; I'd probably broken his nose. Well, he deserved it!

Boys could be such pigs sometimes; you decide you want to wear something different for once, and, automatically, they think you're trying to impress them. That guy was the only one stupid enough to actually approach me, but that doesn't mean I didn't see how the others were looking at me; like I was a piece of meat. It was disgusting.

Arkarian, at least, had the right to ravish me, but, still, he treated me like a delicate flower. A delicate flower with deadly thorns on its stem where you have to touch it at just the right places.

I smiled at my reflection. Ethan was right; I _was_ glowing. And I knew who the source behind light was. School wasn't worth being away from him, especially when I was going to get hit on by horny teenage boys.

I bounced out of the bathroom, almost bumping into Neriah who was just outside the door.

"Oh, Isabel!" she said, her eyes wide and worried, "I saw what happened and I came to see if you were alright. You seemed pretty upset-"

"I'm fine, Neriah," I cut her off, smiling hugely at her concerned face; she was so sweet, "Listen, if anyone asks, I got sick and went home. Okay?"

"Oh," she looked at me bewilderedly, "O-okay." She was obviously confused at how a healer could possibly ever get sick.

"Yeah, sure," I heard Dillon say sarcastically from behind her. Did he follow her to the _bathroom_? Creepy... "I'm sure Arkarian's gonna make you feel _much_ better." He smirked and Neriah giggled before she could stop herself.

"Don't say his name!" I hissed at him and looked around to make sure no one heard. The hallway was deserted. "You're lucky everyone's out to lunch!" I glared daggers at him, "I swear, Dillon, one more of your stupid comments and it might just be you who's going to the nurse's office with a broken face!"

"Chill Isabel," he said, raising his hands, palms forward, "no offense intended."

"There's no need for violence," Neriah put in sweetly in Dillon's defense, which made him grin like an idiot. Good thing she couldn't see. "Anyway," she smiled at me, "I hope you get better soon." Dillon snorted.

I ignored him and smiled back at her, "Thanks, bye!"

I took off through the back entrance to the field. I would have to double back later but the security guards at the front gates would never let me through without a note and I didn't feel like a fight. I jogged in the direction of the back fence, passing some cheerleaders in skimpy outfits practicing their skimpy routine.

"I'm sexy and I know it," the shook their pompoms, "and I'm not afraid to show it," they winked in unison, "so come up here and spank me," more pompom action, "and later you can thank me!" they threw their skinny arms in the air and, of course, shook their pompoms. Someone kill me now. What a bunch of bimbos. I shook my head sadly as a few boys wolf whistled. What has this world come to?

I scaled the fence and took off running in the direction of the mountain. I loved running. No matter what was going on at the time, running would always calm me down. The gentle sound of my feet pounding against the earth, the wind blowing in my face, the feeling of complete freedom as I went faster and faster; it was all amazingly soothing and mind blowingly thrilling at the same time. I slowed to a jog as I neared the mountain, trying to get my breathing under control. The door opened for me and I walked through, running my hand through my now disheveled hair. He was sitting on one of his ancient stools smiling at me from the center of the room.

"You, young lady, should be in school," Arkarian said as I approached him, his smile growing wider. I sat in his lap and straddled him, my feet dangling down the other side.

I smiled at him, "And you, old man, should be dead," I countered.

He chuckled softly, "Touché." He kissed me softly before pulling back to look at me. His eyes traveled downward as he took in my attire and he smiled, "This is nice," he brought his hands to my thighs, resting them on the edge of my stockings.

I giggled, "I'm glad you think so," I wrapped my arms around his neck, "Unfortunately, so did half the male population of Angel Falls High School." This caught his attention and his eyes snapped up to mine from where they were staring at the small patch of exposed skin on my thighs. I smiled at his dark expression, "One even asked me out."

His eyes flashed anger but he quickly calmed himself, "And?" his voice was strained like he was just hanging on to his cool. I've never heard him use that tone before and I didn't know what to make of it. He removed his hands from my thighs to around my waist and pulled me closer to him.

I giggled to lighten the tension, "I broke his nose," I said gleefully.

Arkarian grinned wildly, "Good, though you probably shouldn't have gone that far," he didn't look like he meant the last part; he looked quite satisfied actually. He sounded like it too.

I laughed, "Territorial much?"

His face became serious, "Only when it comes to you," he smirked a little, "You are _mine_." he growled, his hold on me tightening.

I glared at him playfully, "Maybe I should break _your_ nose; deflate your ego a little bit."

Arkarian laughed, kissing my nose, "You can try."

I smiled at him brightly and leaned in to kiss him. He responded immediately, bringing a hand from around my face to cup my cheek. It moved from my cheek to tangle in my hair as the kiss deepened, became a make out session. Our lips slid against each other while our tongues danced, pronouncing our love in fluid movements.

I don't know how long we kissed but both our lips were swollen and sore when we finally pulled apart.

We smiled at each other and just sat there for a few minutes, staring into each other's eyes.

"I've been informed that Matt will be returning later today," Arkarian said, breaking the silence. I smiled; I was starting to miss his overprotective self.

And then I remembered, "What are we going to tell him?" I whispered; panic lacing my words, "He's going to freak! Who knows what he'll do to you! Trust me, I've seen my brother in a rage before; and it is not pretty."

Arkarian grimaced slightly, "No, I don't believe he'll handle the news too well. But, for right now, he doesn't need to know," he looked at me with serious eyes, "Until Matt comes to terms with our relationship; I think it would be best to keep this a secret from him." I looked at him, unable to believe what he was proposing. "I don't like it anymore than you do, Isabel, but it's the only choice we have. We can't risk disharmony between the named-"

"And what do you call _lying_ to him?!" I asked incredulously.

"Isabel," his voice was soothing but I knew it well enough to hear the sadness in it, "We will tell him, eventually. But, right now, this must remain between us. Matt still sees you as his baby sister whom he must protect, he does not approve of me as your lover; adding children to that will only make him snap. He already has a lot to deal with as leader of the Named, a position he still does not feel is meant for. I'm sorry, but he cannot know until we are sure he can be halfway reasonable about it." He looked at me sadly and then sighed, "However, we are in this together; if you feel the need to tell him now, I won't stop you."

I touched his face gently. He was right, of course. "I'm sorry it has to be this way" I say softly, "I don't see what he has to complain about; you are absolutely perfect."

Arkarian's face brightened up considerably and he chuckled, "And you are biased."

"Maybe, but just a little bit," I laugh and kissed him, pulling back to stare into his eyes. I decide to change the subject. "So..." I smile at him, "What have you been up to?"

He smiled, "Oh, just daydreaming," his hands went to my midriff, "about this."

"And what did these daydreams include?" I quirked my head, smiling widely.

Arkarian leaned down and kissed my stomach lightly. He looked back up at me, smiling, "Do you realize that we've never actually had our first date?"

I rolled my eyes at him, realizing that this was the only answer I was going to get for now, "And what do you call all the time we spent together? A one week stand?" I snorted, "It was better than a year's worth of dating, if you ask me."

He laughed and I smiled at how beautiful the sound was. "I happen to share that opinion," he brushed a strand of hair behind my ear, but his face turned somber, "but that's all we'll ever be able to do; spend time together locked up in these mountains. We will never be able to go to dinner together or take walks on the beach or any of the things normal couples do. All because of this," his hand hovered over his face, "My hair, my eyes, my age; you have to give up so much just to be with me and I'm afraid that maybe, one day, you would regret it." His eyes reflected many emotions; sadness, regret, guilt, fear.

"Arkarian," I said, holding his face firmly between my hands, "_I love you_. And I don't care about any of those things. Whoever said anything about us being a normal couple anyway? I would rather spend eternity in the underworld than a single day without you," I was talking quickly but seriously, trying to relieve him of his insecurities, "I love your hair and I love your eyes and I don't care how old you are; you will always have my heart," I smiled a little, "besides, you may be six hundred years old, but you're still incredibly HOT."

Arkarian chuckled lightly, "Is that why you're here; because you think I'm hot?"

"Arkarian," I said evenly, "if all wanted was to stare at hot boys, I would just get a magazine. I wouldn't go through everything I did just to be with you if I knew it wouldn't be worth it."

His eyes smiled at me and he kissed my chin. Instinctively, I tilted my head down to reach his lips. We kissed sweetly for a minute before I pulled back. I suddenly had this weird feeling that I shouldn't be here; like I was needed elsewhere. It took me a moment to realize that it was my sixth sense telling me that something really bad was going to happen.

Arkarian looked at me with concerned amethyst orbs, "What's wrong?"

"I don't kn-" I didn't get to finish that sentence when I was hit by a blinding pain. I scream and hold my head as the pain increases and the white light grows brighter, developing urgency.

"Don't fight it," I hear Arkarian's soothing voice in my ear, but it sounds as if coming from a distance. I try to do what he says and eventually, the pain decreases, becomes bearable, and the white light changed colors, creating images.

I see a fortress and I recognize it as Neriah's and it's surrounded by birds. They're same birds we saw in the underworld and they're banging against something, a crystal dome by the looks of it. The whole fortress is surrounded by them and I see Ethan and Rochelle running towards it. Rochelle looks pale and tired like she's about to pass out and I can immediately tell she's injured and has lost a lot of blood.

The scene changes and there are explosions as the house is blown apart, room by room. There are soldiers, all masked, searching for something but I don't know what. And then I see Marduke and he's barking out orders to some of the soldiers.

I don't get to hear what he says when the vision ends as suddenly as it came.

"Arkarian!" I scream, jumping out of his lap.

"What is it? What did you see?" he stood, looking worried.

"Neriah's fortress; it's being attacked by Marduke and his soldiers!" I frowned, "No, it's _going_ to be attacked by Marduke and his soldiers," I remember the urgency I'd felt during the vision, "we have to get there; now."

"Okay," he ran a hand through his hair, "I'll call the others and use my wings to get there," he looked at me, "you stay here so I'll know where to find you if someone is injured."

"What?! You know as well as I do that you need me there!" When did he start turning into Matt?

"You're in no condition to fight!"

"What are you talking about?!" and then I got it, "Arkarian," I looked him right in the eye to let him know how serious I was, "I'm pregnant, not disabled. You know I'm needed there and you know there is no way you're going to stop me! If I just sit this out, don't you think it's going to be a little suspicious? I can take care of myself; you know I can!"

He sighed, realizing there was no way he was going to win this argument. He cupped my face with his hands, "Be careful, please," his eyes bore into mine; demanding.

I nodded and kissed him lightly, murmuring a soft "I promise" before running off to protect my friend.

**plz Review!!**

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**p.s thank you Sakuraangel1327 for giving me some advise for the lemon on chp.4 for those of you who are intersted ;) im going back to fix it before updating a new chp.**

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	8. Chapter 8

Rochelle POV

I slumped down in my stool, staring at my cursed hands. I ignored Dillon's accusing glare and hateful thoughts. He's practically burning a hole through the side of my head. I almost wish he could. Maybe then justice will be served. My hands clenched together and I hiss in pain. Their power is surging.

Maybe one day it'll become too much and my hands will self implode. Maybe then justice will be served.

Ethan is glancing at me worriedly from across the room, trying to be subtle about it; he knows I'm beating myself up about this. He should also know that I deserve it. Guilt swells in my chest, contracting around my heart. I knew the feeling well enough. I had felt it with every kiss Matt had given me, every loving touch he trusted me with; intensifying tenfold when my mind would drift and think about Ethan and _his_ kisses, _his_ touch.

I was monstrous. I was heartless. I was a heartless, cold, conniving, deceitful, _useless_monstrosity that deserved to buried in the deepest pits of hell and then have that pit lit on fire. Maybe then justice will be served.

It didn't help that Isabel was angry.

No- she was beyond furious; she was_ livid_.

It was petrifying.

Apparently, Isabel had had a vision of Neriah's kidnapping sometime during the end of the fight and got caught in an explosion. We had to dig her out of four inches of dust and ruble and burning debris. And she had never been worse for wear; it showed on her tattered clothes. The once beautiful garments were stained brown with dirt and blood, the edges burnt and shrivelled from when they had caught fire. Arkarian was almost hysterical when we found her barely-breathing form. He had taken her to another room and not had not left her side since. She'd woken up five minutes ago, fully healed and royally pissed.

"How _dare_ they!" she raged. Nobody said anything in response. They just watched her pace a hole in the floor with weary eyes.

She spun around quickly, her face contorted with spite. "Who the fuck do they think they are?! They kidnap her and then they fucking blow her house up?! What is wrong with these people?!"

I wince a little but try to hide it. My father used to swear a lot when he was drunk or beating my mom. I'd probably heard every swear word imaginable by the time I was five. I didn't much appreciate the reminder.

Then again; I probably deserved it.

"I think we all know what happened, Isabel," Dillon says, standing up and glaring at her, "We don't need a recap!"

She glares back at him balefully with enough force to sit him back down and continued pacing, her thoughts screaming bloody murder. And unshakable fear. She managed to block me out before I was able to find the source of her trepidation.

"I saw what was going to happen!" She yelled, throwing her arms in the air in an exaggerated motion, her fear fuelling her anger, "Why didn't I stop it?! Aneliese is in hysterics, she's being shipped off to some god forsaken island because her home is a fucking pile of ashes, and Neriah is in the hands of her psychotic father who could be torturing her as we speak! How did this happen?!" Isabel was breathing heavily, her small hands clenched into fists.

"It's not your fault," Ethan says strongly, trying to calm her.

_No, it's not. It's _my _fault,_ I think sourly.

"I know that!" She hisses at him and spin away to continue pacing. But I see through her lie; she doesn't believe that. She thinks it _is_her fault; that she should've done something to stop it.

_I had failed._

_I had seen it coming!!_

_What more of an advantage could you want?! _Her thoughts flit through her poorly screaned mind.

Another waive of guilt crashes over me. She shouldn't blame herself for something I let happen.

Arkarian hears her thoughts as well. He stops her pacing, wrapping her in his strong embrace. Her reaction is almost immediate, as if she knew he would console her. She molded into him, relaxing her stiff posture. Her fists unclench and she wraps her tiny arms around his waist, releasing a deep sigh.

They don't say anything, they just hold each other and after a while it gets a little awkward. I am in awe of them (and more than a little bit jealous); they do nothing but hug and it's like there is nothing in the world except each other. I can almost taste the love rolling off of them. Sickeningly sweet; something meant for them alone.

I felt like I was imposing. I go back to staring at my hands.

"I have to leave now," Arkarian says eventually, "Matt should be back soon, and we need him if we are to get Neriah back safely."

Isabel grimaces slightly, unhappy with the thought of leaving his arms, but nods anyway. "Yeah, I need to go to the bathroom anyway."

Arkarian looks at her meaningfully, and they share a lover's moment. He knows she's beating herself up about this whole mess and being alone is not exactly the best thing for her now.

She opens her mind to him and I unintentionally catch a glimpse of it. She just wants a minute to cool off.

Arkarian visibly relaxes and gives her a quick peck goodbye before using his wings and disappearing.

Isabel leaves the room and an uncomfortable silence follows. I continue to stare at my hands, hoping they turn to ash anytime soon. Dillon continues to bore his eyes into the side of my head. Ethan sends me worried glances every twenty seconds or so.

_It's not your fault Rochelle_, Ethan's thoughts push into my conscious. I make no move to acknowledge his lie. Why was he trying to placate me in the first place?

_At least he cares enough to try_, a little voice says, sounding a little too hopeful for my liking.

_Shut up_, I snap at it, successfully quieting it.

I continue to stare at my hands.

_We'll get her back, _Ethan continues,

I noticed how well crafted these gloves really are. The stitching looks a lot like skin cells. I wonder how Lady Arabella did that.

_Fine! Ignore me if that's what you want._

I continue tracing patterns on my gloved, freakish hands. I'm tempted to retort, but my voice isn't feeling too good.

Dillon, however, has decided that staring a hole through my skull isn't enough. He starts to imagine various scenarios of what I have done and then shoving them into my head. They all include Neriah, Marduke and some sort of pain.

I let him have his fun, if it makes him feel better. They would make good nightmares to dream about tonight.

I just stare at my hands, wishing something would strike me dead, and preferably soon.

Shaun and Jimmy are unnaturally quiet, probably feeling the tension rolling around in waves. Mr. Carter is passively starting at the wall, obviously wishing he was somewhere else.

Well, that makes two of us.

The door opens and then closes, signaling Isabel's return. I'm almost glad for the distraction, though I don't look up from my death-bringing hands.

"Are you alright?" I hear Ethan's concerned voice and a chair scrape against the floor as he stands up.

"Yeah," Isabel breathes shakily, her voice almost cracking.

I look up, surprised by her tone of voice. I catch a small glimpse of her before Ethan pulls her into his embrace, blocking her from my view with his broad shoulders. Her eyes are red rimmed and puffy, tear stains on the front of her new shirt. There are faint salt tracks down each cheek and her lower lip is trembling slightly.

I feel a pang of sorrow for her and - much to my shame- jealosy. I mentally slap myself for my deplorable thoughts. She's there crying- and it takes a lot to make Isabel cry- and here I am, jealose because Ethan is trying to comfort her.

I disgust myself.

Ethan rubs Isabel's back gently while she hiccups sporadically. They stay that way until she finally pulls herself together, just in time for Arkarian and Matt to arrive.

Matt is ... different. There's a look in his eye, almost haunting. He seems ... older? More mature perhaps? I don't know exactly. He looks taller than I remember, almost as if he's grown an inch or two in the past week or so. Growth spurt, maybe?

Isabel hesitantly moves to embrace him, a forced smile on her blotched, red face. But Matt is no fool. He knows his sister well; she can't hide the fact that she'd been crying from him. Nor Arkarian for that matter. Almost simultaneously, their eyes flare with worry.

Matt holds her tightly, looking questioningly at Ethan from over her head. Ethan shakes his head, frowning slightly.

Dillon, on the other hand, is bouncing with impatience, his careless thoughts earning him a glare from Arkarian. He sympathises with Isabel, a little concerned maybe, but he has more important things on his mind, and it rules over his judgment. His concern for Neriah is quickly turning to obsession.

Isabel finally pulls away, giving Matt an 'I don't want to talk about it' look. He frowns but nods his head slightly and moves to greet everyone else. He nods stiffly in my direction as a sort of greeting. But at least he isn't glaring. I smile back half heartedly.

"Okay," Matt says finally, "Let's get this meeting started."

**sorry for the long wait people. I know this chapter is less than satisfactory and I promise the next one will be much better. So please don't be mad. I'm having such a hard time with my writer's block, and my aunt just gave birth (YAY! I get a new baby cousin. And she is absolutely adorable!!) so just hang in there with me. I promise it will be worth while. **

**And if you have any suggestions for this story or another story don't hesitate to say it in the review or PM if you like. Maybe it'll help clear up my stupid writer's block.**

**Thanks everyone!**

**Review! :)**


	9. Chapter 9

I updated! thank you to all the reviewers.

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Isabel POV

An image flashed under my closed lids. A little boy, a miniature Arkarian really, padding around on his tiny feet in nothing but diapers. Large violet eyes, sparkling merrily in his small face. Wild, shaggy blue hair sticking out in all directions on the top of his head.

Another sob wracks my shuddering body as the image dissapears. My tears mix with the water cascading down my back. I'm curled up in fetal position in the shower, sitting directly under the jet of the water. I don't know how long I've been like this. The water, once burning hot, was now ice cold, adding to my misery.

Someone will find me soon for sure, but I didn't care. I bury my face deeper into my knees, my cries growing louder and more distressed. Almost hysterical.

I don't know how I made it through the meeting. Or the day and a half in Athens for that wild goose chase Matt put us on and Rochelle's initiation. I don't know how I had kept my head on long enough to heal Neriah, looking like nothing was wrong.

But everything was wrong. _I_ was wrong.

There was a deep, stabbing pain in my heart that slowly crept through my body to drown every cell in emotional agony.

And the guilt. The sorrow was nothing compared to the guilt. Arkarian had known something was off. I couldn't keep anything from him. He'd tried to comfort me. But I couldn't bare to look at him. I couldn't bare to have him touch me.

He deserved so much better.

I didn't tell him, of course. And the guilt gnawed away at my conscience every time I thought about it. It was selfish; letting him believe a lie. But I didn't want him to know how inadequate I am.

I was a mess by the time I reached home. I barely made it to the bathroom before I broke down. The hot water had helped soothe me at first, but eventually the pain and loss caught up to me and nothing could console me then.

I wanted so much to be in Arkarian's arms. I wanted him to hold me and whisper sweet assurances into my ear.

But I didn't deserve that. I didn't deserve any piece of him.

I heard someone banging furiously on the door and Matt yelling at me to open up. I wanted to answer, to scream at him to leave me alone. But I couldn't. I couldn't form the words.

There was loud bang as the door is broken down, falling to the floor in pieces. The water is turned off and now the only sounds are my pathetic cries.

I'm wrapped in something warm and fluffy, a towel maybe, and lifted off the hard ceramic of the bathtub into someone's arms. I recognise Matt's cologne and my hands instinctively latch on to the front of his shirt.

My body is shaking, with cold or pain - I can't tell, as he lays us down on a bed. And it's like I'm five years old again and I've just had a bad dream. He holds me close to his chest, tucking my head into his shoulder as he rubs my back rhythmically.

His warmth is addicting, radiating from all sides as I curl into him. My sobs quiet, and my body begins to relax. Somewhere in the back of my mind, a voice sreams that I'm engulfed in the wrong pair of arms.

But the arms I truly wanted, I didn't deserve.

Eventually, my tears dry up and I'm tired enough sink into a fitful sleep.

* * *

A week passes.

And then a month.

Everyone knows something is wrong. Mom is hovering around me most of the time, worrying incessantly about every little thing. Her concern is heartening and I welcome it gratefully, though it was wasted on me.

They all try to comfort me, all except the one who actually can. None of them know what's wrong, though they all suspect Arkarian has something to do with it.

How wrong they were.

Everything seems warped to me; blurry. I felt lost. There was nothing to hold me down and sometimes I feared I would drift off and never return. I hardly notice where I am any more. At school, at home, at cheerleading practice.

Yes; cheerleading practice.

Apparently that boy whose nose I broke was a male cheerleader, and he needed surgery. I was suspended for three days and required to fill his place until he was well enough to do it himself, which would be in three months. I tried to look on the bright side; it could have been worse.

The original punishment would be two weeks suspension, and the prick wanted to sue me for harassment - a hundred dollar fine for harassment and a full coverage of his hospital bills- but I could easily plead self defence if he took it to court and I had a hallway full of witnesses to prove it, so the principal settled for torture by squealing girls.

Now, normally I wouldn't believe in stereotypes, but batting your eyelashes at a jock halfway across the field while in the middle of a somersault five feet off the ground was a bit much.

They were really nice people once there was no eye-candy around. But at the simple mention of a male, they'll start talking with their vagina.

Not a pretty sight.

Neriah moved in with us about a week ago and Matt's been avoiding her like the plague. I heard about the promise Matt made to Dillon after that fight, though I doubt Neriah knows anything about it. The house is practically oozing sexual tension and it was beginning to get to me.

My safe harbour, my Arkarian was off limits to me now. I couldn't bare to be in his presence. I couldn't bare to see the dissapointment on his face when he finds out the truth. And so, I stayed away.

But I missed Arkarian. I missed him so much. I missed the sound of his voice and the feeling of his hair running through my fingers. And though I knew I didn't deserve any of it, I missed all of him.

I missed how even the lightest of his touches could make my heart flutter and how I would shiver with pleasure when his breath fanned across my skin. And how his feather light kisses could leave me completely satiated or aching for more.

I missed his beautiful smile as he flashed his pearly whites and I missed waking up to his deliciously scented chest.

I knew I was pushing him away by ignoring him, but it was for the best. And though it killed me to admit it, he deserved so much more than me. He didn't deserve a failure. I would have come clean with him eventually, but I couldn't deal with that right now.

I avoided his covernous chaimbers like my life depended on it. But I could only stay away for so long. I knew that much.

Often, I would be sitting in class or watching T.V. and my thoughts would drift. Down the road, through the forest, up the mountain to where he waits for me. He wants me to come back.

And my heart throb painfully when I realize that he would never want me once he knows the truth.

But that was nothing.

It late at night that my true torture began.

My dreams would vary from a disappointed and heartbroken Arkarian to little blue-haired, violet-eyed children. Children that would never be born.

Sometimes my twisted imagination would put a blood stained dagger in my hands and four little mutilated bodies at my feet. Sometimes it would be someone else and I would stand by and watch. And, as if that were not enough, sometimes a shadow would block out my view and a knife would be shoved through my heart. Sometimes I would jerk awake then, breaking out in cold sweat while my heart hammers against my ribs. And other times the dream would continue. I would fall back, blood gushing out of my wound, and I would look up to Arkarian's enraged face.

I would wake up screaming into my pillow, tears flowing freally down my face. I would stay that way for the rest of the night, curled up in a ball, crying, afraid to go back to sleep until it was finally time to get ready for school.

I would sneak off to the bathroom and wash my face, erasing any signs of tears. I was physically and emotionally exhausted, and it showed clearly on my face.

My eyes were dull and hallow, like looking into brown pools of nothingness. The dark bags surrounding them only added to the dead look. My face was paler than anyone had the right to be, almost translucent, making the dark shadows stand out even more. I looked gaunt. Lifeless.

It was Saturday, and I was taking Neriah shopping. All her clothes had been destroyed along with her house, and mine were too small for her. She'd been stuck with sweat shirts and loose track pants that barely reached her ankles all week. It was funny actually; the first time she looked through my closet she very nearly busted a vain.

_"Isabel! Do you realize you don't have any skirts?!" Neriah's frantic voice came from inside my closet dresser._

_"Yeah, so?" I was sprawled across my bed, reading some book or the other I'd nicked from Matt's room. I was three chapters in and I still didn't know who the main character is. Not that that's saying much. I barely ever concentrate anymore._

_She sends me a glare over her shoulder and continues shuffling through my stuff. "Where do you get these?" Neriah holds up the black skinny jeans I got to replace my ruined outfit, "Mother care?" She holds the jeans against her. They barely make it across her small waist and only reach down three quarters of the way._

_"Hey, not all of us can have seven feet long legs, you know," I reply, keeping my eyes on my book. She giggles and turns back, not realizing the pain her words had cause me. My heart clenched painfully in my chest. I would never set foot in Mother care._

_"Well, these should fit," She says somberly, holding up dark grey sweatpants, "At least until this weekend. It's better than parading around in the school uniform." _

I tucked in my stomach, holding my breath, and tried to pull both ends together with all the strength I could muster. I change tactics, trying to pull the zipper up first. It doesn't work. My breath rushes in and my stomach droops. I pull off the jeans quickly and throw them forcefully back into the dresser, screaming with frustration.

NOTHING WILL FIT!!

I stomp to the mirror on my vanity, turning to the side to get a better view. And, sure enough, there was a small bump in my lower abdomen that never used to be there before. It's barely noticeable, just a small protrusion that you wouldn't see if you were looking directly at it. I turn to the front again, huffing with anger.

I never knew I was the kind to eat my fealings away. Was I really eating that much without even noticing? Even as a little girl I only had minimal baby fat. I was never a chubby child and it was usually hard for me to gain weight, especially with all the sports I did.

Maybe that was it. I _was _being a little lazy lately.

No worries; it wouldn't continue for long. Maybe I should cut down on milkshakes too.

I attack my dresser, trying to find some stretch jeans but Neriah is wearing my only loose pants and all the others are in the hamper.

"Ugh!" Could this get any worse?

I storm out of my room in my underwear to my mother's room. I grab the smallest pants I could find from my mom's closet and put them on, rolling up the legs a few times. I go back to my room, flipping Matt the bird after he complains about my lack of a shirt, and throw on the first thing my hands touch. I add a belt to keep the pants from falling every five seconds and shove my feet in some sneaker without bothering with socks. After tying my hair in a loose pony tail at the base of my neck, I trudge downstairs, my mood blackening with each step.

* * *

Neriah drags me to store after store after store, gushing at each new design or brand name. It's all I can do to keep from rolling my eyes. It's like the girl's never been in a mall before. I tell her this.

"Well, I haven't actually," she says, trying on some Gucci sunglasses. I had to keep myself from snorting. Sunglasses? In the middle of winter?

"You haven't?"

"No," She sighs wistfully, returning the shades to the rack before turning back to me, "I was never allowed outside the house until now. And the island we lived on didn't have a mall. We did all our shopping on-line. But it's so much more fun this way! I'm not boring you am I? We can always leave. I think we have enough to last for now."

I bite back the urge to say 'you think?' (we were each carrying at least four bags in each hand - four heavy bags) and smile instead. "No that's fine. I have nothing better to do anyway."

Neriah smiles brightly, her face lighting up like a Christmas tree, and continues pillaging the stores with a renewed vigour.

Eventually we had to call Matt in to carry the bags for us, and like the mature seventeen-year-old leader-of-a-secret-society-who's-sole-purpose-is-to-protect-the-world-from-evil he truly is, he whines and complains like a five year old only a few minutes after he got here. That is, until I threatened him with a detour trip to Victoria's Secret. I swear I saw his ears turn red.

It was one thing that I was miserable; I brought it on myself, but at least Neriah should be able to have some fun. The same explosion that had taken my life away, had taken deprived her of her home. And it was utterly unfair to her.

Matt avoids us all he can, keeping at least three feet between us at all times. He sits in the corner of every store, sulking and muttering to himself. I catch Neriah stealing glances at him from the corner of her eye, while she pretends to look at clothes. Matt catches her a few times and she goes beat red. What she doesn't know is that he watches her too when her back is turned. And I'm stuck in between trying to ignore them both. It was reminding me of what I had ruined.

We do a little grocery shopping before heading home where Matt, always the gentleman, drops the bags by the door and scurries off to his room, locking it in the process.

I mutter profanities under my breath and help Neriah carry the bags. I was going to have a word with my dear brother. Sooner rather than later.

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review plzz!! It's much appreciated.


	10. Chapter 10

**I am incredibly sorry for the delay, but school is unbelievably demanding and my mom has the most ridiculous expectations which I have to live up to or risk loosing my computer for good. :( I hope this makes up for it...**

**In other news... I have a competitions going on called the Isabel gets married challange. plz check out my profile for all the details and if you want join in too. IT's good fun :)**

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Rochelle POV

Life is unfair.

I'd known this fact the minute I came out of the womb. I'd lived this fact my whole life, but I had never really comprehended just how unfair life could be until now. The utter disappointment you feel when you realize that it's never getting any better, no matter what you do, is even more disturbing than knowing the fact for as long as you'd lived.

The devastation of such a fact had never really dawned on me until I was sitting in Arkarian's chambers, being told that I was to go on a mission to god knows where - I'd zoned out around that part - and my partner was to be Ethan.

Fate is just cruel.

And so, I am lying in bed, counting sheep flying over the fence while trying to stop images of cute brown haired boys with sky blue eyes and the most heart-breakingly goofy smile on the face of the planet from popping into my head. Multitasking is obviously not my forte.

I fall asleep around 1:35 (I know this because I was staring at the blinking blue digits on my alarm clock until I started to fade away.) Immediately, the familiar feeling of free-fall sets in, which ended with me landing on my back end - hard.

"Ow." I grimaced at the shooting pain in my tail bone.

Ethan was already there, staring at me with a disapproving yet somewhat detached expression. "You're late," he said in a voice to match his countenance; like he couldn't care less.

I get up, indignant and more than a little hurt. His eyes ask for an explanation so naturally, I offer none. Take that insensitive jerk!

"We should get going," I say, and stalk off from the plain white room, leaving him to follow. It takes three corridors, four sets of staircases and thirty seven different rooms before I admit that I'm lost. Ethan was following behind the whole time, practically oozing smugness as I stomped away in front of him. I stop, realising that I'm wasting precious time, and take a deep breath. It was no mean feat, but I was able to swallow my pride, turn around and say,"I'm lost."

I'm drawn to his pretty eyes and immediately I notice the malicious glint in them, though it looks warped and misplaced on his otherwise kind face. "You could have said so in the beginning," he says like it's something obvious, and then turns around and walks away, obviously expecting me to follow.

I can't help but think that he's making it purposefully hard on me, and it brought an unexplainable pain to my chest and pitiful tears to my eyes. Could no one give me a break?

We go back down one set of disappearing stairs and turn right where I had previously turned left, and through the second door down, with me blinking away tears of hurt the whole time. Neither of us said a word as we walked through the isles of clothes, gaining our new identities.

I am more than a little surprised when we reach the mirrors and see my reflection staring back at me. I am in a flowery sundress, something straight out of _Stepford Wives, _indicating that this history was very recent. My hair is alight blond, short and curled inward around my now round face. My eyes are the same, of course, but I can barely recognise myself.

I caught Ethan's eye in the mirror and had to bite my tongue against the laughter that bubbled up. "I never knew you were into rock 'n roll," I say snidely, raising an eyebrow at his attire. I couldn't help it. Besides, karma is a bitch.

His cheeks tinged pink, though I didn't have to be a Truthseer to know that he was mentally rolling his eyes. "I can see from that comment you weren't paying attention during the briefing. You have no idea where we're going do you?"

My brow furrowed as I tried to remember. What could possibly posses Ethan to become an Elvis impersonator? And then it hit me. "Elvis Presley?!"

Ethan nodded his head solemnly.

"Lathenia wants to kill Elvis Presley?" I asked again, disbelieving.

"Aparently."

"But that's like killing Santa!" This was blasphemy! I never imagined Lathenia would stoop that low.

"Well maybe you can find a way to tell her that!" Ethan snapped, annoyed. What has gotten into him? As if reading my mind, he answered, "We're late enough as it is. We should get going."

"When exactly are we going?" I asked as we were showered with knowledge dust. Sally Halo. What sort of name was that?

"Las Vegas, late nineteen fifties," Ethan, who was to be John Kell for the time being, answered. We made our way through another maze of corridors and stairways until we got to the jump room.

"Viva Las Vegas, Viva Las Vegas," I hummed under my breath. Ethan snickered. I didn't get a chance to retort before he'd jumped, me following right after.

Las Vegas here we come.

It was... breathtaking. Phenomenal. you want to call it. I could barely conceal my awe at the towering hotels and bright city lights. Everything was glowing as we made our way down the Las Vegas strip, dodging elegant women in long, pretty dresses and men that looked like they belonged in _Grease_. Ethan blended right in; there were plenty impersonators, some better than others. Under any other circumstances, I would have found them pathetic, but I couldn't blame them. Elvis was sensational.

I had seen many things in my rather short lifetime, and though many of those things were beyond magnificent, they had all seemed too grand, too ostentatious. But here, they gave off a different air. Unlike all the others, they weren't showing off or trying to stand out, rather they wanted to blend in. Here, it was the plain and simple that stood out. Not that there were many of those.

There was a live concert tonight in some up and high hotel, and we were running way behind schedule; we were supposed to be here a week ago according to Ethan. He suspects that the Order have already acted and are just waiting to insure the mission was carried out to completion. It was typical Order routine; get in, do the job, get out. We would have to be on full alert tonight.

"I think there are two main possibilities that the order would go for," Ethan said as we dodged through the thick crowd, "It's either going to be as silent and quick as possible; guerrilla stile. Or they're gonna take him out with a big bang; causing as much chaos and panic as possible. Knowing the order, I would guess the second."

I nod in agreement though he can't see me.

"That means we have to act quickly," Ethan continues, handing the bouncer our tickets. The big burly man looked at us queerly before checking our VIP passes (Arkarian is a miracle worker to have gotten one, much rather two). We are herded into a large lounge with large sofas and bar. The walls are covered with pictures of the superstar and a row of his guitars are set up along one wall, with special attention on the one he'll be playing with tonight.

Ethan drifts off and converses with some men gathered, flashing a rather convincing smile.

"Hello miss?" I hear someone say from behind me. I turn around into the gray eyes of a tall brunette. She smiles at me, and I have to remember to smile back. I can already read her thoughts so I know exactly what she wants. "Are you a fan too?" She asks in her thick accent.

"Yes. There's nothing like some good Rock n' Roll to get the day going," I reply, trying to be discreet as I look around the room for possible dangers.

"Or the night, for that matter" she giggles, "What's your name?"

"Sally," I reply automatically. My eyes scan the room. The bar is in the back corner. Ethan is sitting there, chatting with a group of men. There's a very small possibility that the threat will come from there. I move on.

"Well, hello Sally," She sticks out her hand for me to shake, "I'm Gloria."

I force a smile to my face. "Well, if you'll excuse me Gloria, I have to use the ladies room." I take off, not bothered with appearing rude. I had a very bad feeling, and it was growing worse by the second. I caught Ethan's eye from across the room, and what I see there tells me he senses it too. I've been in the Order too long not to know that something was up.

I move towards the hallway, motioning for him to follow me. I walk around a large crowd, swooning over something or the other, and my hand accidentally brushes Elvis's guitar. Immediately I am shown the everything about the wood, the tight wrought guitar strings and the not so empty center. I gasp and draw my hand away; I know where the threat will come from.

Ethan meets me in the hall outside the lounge. Immediately I turn on him. "It's in the guitar," I say quickly.

Ethan nods, accepting my declaration without question. This show of trust, no matter how small, lifts my spirits. "Right," he says, thinking, "We'll need to get that guitar out of there."

"How-" I don't get to finish my statement when cheering erupts from inside, cutting me off. That could only mean one thing - Elvis has entered the room. I gulp. Our task seemed all the more impossible now.

Ethan runs a hand through his hair and blows out, an obvious sign of frustration. "We need a plan," he states.

"No kidding," I say scornfully. Way to state the obvious.

"Well I don't see you doing anything," He sneers back, his eyes suddenly going cold and hard with anger.

"Well standing there yelling about it isn't going to do any good, is it?!" I growl back. I have a distinct feeling that if it were Isabel here or Neriah, he wouldn't be so bearish, and this brings a sharp sting to my heart.

"I got it," he says suddenly, snapping his fingers. I jump a foot in the air. Ethan pays no notice and continues with his plan, smiling, "I think I can get the guitar safely out of there and back in before anyone notices," he looks at me now, "all I need you to do is distract Presley."

I scoff, "And how do you suppose I do that?"

"I don't know! Flirt or something!" Ethan snaps, all traces of that cute smile gone. Is it just me or is he a tad bipolar?

"I don't know how to flirt!" Do I look like I read the 10 Basic Rules to Flirting?

In that moment, Ethan's stance changes. He tenses from head to toe, closing his eyes while his teeth clenched. His hands ball into fists and I can see the tendons in his arms straining through the material of his jacket. When he opened his eyes again, I saw the rage in them, the bitter twist to his mouth, and in that moment, I was afraid. "Well, it worked with Matt, didn't it?" he grits through his teeth.

I stare at him a moment, uncomprehending at first, then disbelieving. Now, _I _am angry. "Why can't anyone let that go!?" I screech at him, my eyes narrowed with my own rage, and the gloves on my hands grow more stuffy as my power sizzles with my loose emotions, only adding to my anger. "Is it going to be used against me _every fucking TIME_?! I made a mistake, and I'm sorry! Excuse me for being _human_!" I hiss.

I barely get a chance to breathe after my rant when I find myself pinned between Ethan and the wall, his strong holding on to my arms firmly. I am taken aback by his sudden actions and my whole body tenses instinctively, though that is nothing compared to the shock I feel at our closeness. "Will you stop victimizing yourself?!" He shouts at me, his eyes swirling darkly with obvious anger. "_No_ _one_ regrets what you did more than I do," he hisses out, pain and anger darkening his tone, "watching you with him everyday; knowing the whole time that it should have been _me._"

I stare at him, uncomprehending, while his chest rises and falls with his heavy breathing. His words register by some act of God, and it seems like the whole world shifts focus and is turned upside down. It becomes too much.

His closeness, the intensity of his blue eyes, growing wider and wider at the realization of just how much he had diverged to me, the smell of his - or rather John's - after shave, mixed with the heavy stench of cigarettes; it overwhelms me and fogs my mind.

I don't even realise what I am doing as I lean into him, stretching up on my tiptoes, till my lips meet softly - unexpectedly - with his. It's a shock - to both of us - but it sets off a chain reaction; his arms wrap around me, mine around him, and we are kissing like it's the end of the world. Tears leak out of my closed eyes, tears of pain and regret and, for some unfathomable reason, joy. All I can think of is how right it felt to devour his lips like he doing to mine.

It is impossible to pull away, even as my lips begin to swell and ache. We try many times, only to have our lips crash back together. Eventually, the violent kiss wears down and I feel heat creep its way through my cheeks as we finally pull away. Ethan untangles his arms fro around me and steps back awkwardly. He looks away, as if ashamed of his thoughtless actions, creating a tense atmosphere between us.

_Great, now it's going to be awkward,_ I can't help but think bitterly. This was not how I intended it. Not that I intended it. I mean, it's not like I didn't want it...

_Oh shut up! _I scold myself.

Ethan opens his mouth as if to speak and then closes it again. He repeats this three times before he sighs and runs a hand over his face, exasperated. I decide to be the responsible one and remind him of the reason we are here in the first place. "They're going to gas him," I explain. Ethan nods, relief apparent on his face. I try not to analyse this too much and continue, "It's sound activated so don't pluck any of the strings." Ethan nods again, "You have about five minutes before the show starts," I finish and hurry back into the room. I am able to breathe a little easier in Ethan's absence; the awkwardness was really getting to me.

I don't know how he did it, though I imagine it needed a number of well created illusions, but Ethan managed to smuggle the rigged guitar out, disarm it and return it unharmed and unscathed to it's original place.

He nodded minutely in my direction and I leave the superstar to his admiring fans.

Neither of us said a word as we walked outside, through the dark streets to a deserted alleyway, where Ethan called out Arkarian's name and the world faded around us.

* * *

**There... aren't you guys happy with a little Ethan/Rochelle action? hmm?;P**

**plz don't forget to go check out my profile for the details to the isabel gets married challange. And if you can, join too!! :) **

**Have some good writing fun!**


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